IF THERE’S two things Pieter Mulier has perfected since taking the helm as creative director at Alaïa, its simplicity and sexuality. His slinky silhouettes, cut to perfection, make the body the accessory, and generate an undeniable sense of empowerment.
In a world where more is more, and social media has manufactured a generation of greedy fashion fanatics hungry for anything extravagant, obnoxious and camp (words all too often misplaced), how does a dominantly monochromatic collection succeed?
Against a backdrop of artistic white noise, Mulier has crafted his own version of the legendary Parisian house while still paying continual homage to the original designer’s – Azzedine Alaïa’s – codes, a difficult line to walk with the consequence of being repetitive all too prominent.
For his Summer/Fall 23 collection for the house, Mulier promotes sculptural designs, without straying into an un-wearable territory. Peplums and exaggerated curved hems trick the eye; an illusion that both emphasises the model’s body, but also obscures their natural body shape.
These more conceptual silhouettes are contrasted by distressed knitted body suits, expertly moulded leather mini dresses and figure budding jersey numbers encompassed by crossover harnesses.
But what of the shoes. Born straight from a Lady Gaga x Daphne Guinness fever dream, the shoes look as torturous as they do beautiful. Again, they do not – metaphorically – scream and shout to demand attention, your eyes naturally works their way down to the post-modern masterpieces and revel in the creative excellence – as that is where Mulier’s expertise lie.
The artisanal excellence of the collection is enhanced by the setting, Mulier’s own home in Antwerp. The choice to remove from the Paris fashion circus and instead present the show within his own home brings an entire new layer of personality to his craft, one which Azzedine himself was notorious for projecting into his collections.
Though there are similarities to be drawn upon for sure, the beauty is that Mulier isn’t hung up upon becoming an Alaïa 2.0, as how could one compare. He instead makes the case for his own craft, his own narrative, his own vision. And what a success.
Now, all that we crave is to see his body-conscious silhouettes presented by a more body-conscious cast of models, an illusive effort which would elevate his creations to a whole new realm of beauty.
by Ben Sanderson