Alaïa Summer Fall 2023 Ad Campaign

Review of Alaïa Fall 2023 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Pieter Mulier and Photographer Tyrone Lebon with models Anok Yai, Mica Agañaraz, and Julia Nobis

The new Fall 2023 campaign from Alaïa blurs the lines between life and art, author and subject. Captured by photographer Tyrone Lebon, the intimate and deeply stylish campaign was shot at the home of the brand’s creative director Pieter Mulier in Antwerp, the same space where the show was presented in January.

Once we get over our jealousy at the way in which Mulier is flexing how amazing his beautiful, modernist home is, we can see that it does form a fitting backdrop for his design work. If fashion is architecture for the body, then Alaïa’s bodycon dresses and catsuits are the master bedroom: they are intimate and personal, yet opulent and commanding.

These looks are gorgeously framed by the angled ceilings of the home and the natural light of the Flemish afternoon that pours in through its massive windows, and by the honest use of materials like wood planks and concrete.

In addition to providing a thoroughly evocative and fitting visual atmosphere, the choice of location also suggests an intriguing rumination on the role of the designer in relation to their creations. The art has penetrated the home of the artist, even where he sleeps; the walls between creator and created have been broken transgressed. Perhaps there is in this interpenetration of art and life a suggestion that we ought not, as we often do, see fashion as a distinct category or way of being, something divorced from and above the reality of our daily lives. Instead, we can invite it into our homes – even sleep with it.

Whatever questions or claims we take away from this brilliant and odd choice of setting, there’s no denying that the resulting images are thrillingly moody and stylish. Alaïa has always played the unique role of setting itself apart while feeling more fashion than fashion, and Mulier has been doing excellent work to continue this practice. This campaign is one of the most successful and intriguing examples yet.