How do you create an exhibition and a book about two couturiers who never met in person? That was the challenge Carla Sozzani, co-founder of the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, set for herself. Sozzani met the Tunisian-born designer in the 1980s while working as a fashion and book editor, and they became close friends. Their shared passion for fashion and art led to the project Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior, Two Masters of Haute Couture, now on display in Paris and accompanied by a monograph from Damiani Books.
Culture · Exclusive
New Book and Exhibition Explore the Unseen Bond Between Dior and Alaïa
Culture · 2026
Photo · Tomas Horak for European Pulse
- A new exhibition and book in Paris trace the ties between Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior, two haute couture masters who never met.
- Alaïa's early internship at Dior's Avenue Montaigne atelier shaped his identity as a couturier.
- Both designers redefined women's fashion, from Dior's New Look to Alaïa's body-conscious silhouettes.
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