La Galerie Dior and the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation unite for a rare dual exhibition tracing history, craftsmanship, and an unexpected creative bond.
La Galerie Dior has partnered with the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation for a rare dual exhibition exploring Azzedine Alaïa’s extraordinary archive of Christian Dior creations—one of the largest private collections of Dior in existence. Although Alaïa spent just five days as an intern in the Dior haute couture ateliers in June 1956, his lifelong admiration for the founder’s precision and architecture in dress led him to collect some 600 pieces. The newly opened presentation at La Galerie Dior features 140 looks, the majority sourced directly from Alaïa’s holdings, while a second show at the Foundation, running Dec. 15 to May 3, pairs 30 Dior designs with an equal number of Alaïa’s own work, illuminating the lineage of influence between the two couturiers.
Both exhibitions are curated by Olivier Saillard in collaboration with archivist Gaël Mamine, who worked alongside Dior Heritage to identify and document each piece through original sketches, press materials, and historical notes. “Not one of these pieces has been shown until now,” Saillard said, emphasizing the extensive research required to bring the collection into public view. The displays trace Dior’s geometric-era silhouettes, richly embroidered gowns, and the structural finesse that first captivated Alaïa as a teenager in Tunis. “He always wanted to uncover that mystery — the hidden architecture within the dresses,” Saillard noted. The exhibitions also highlight Dior’s romanticism, with vividly colored gowns, floral motifs, and archival swatches revealing leopard and polka dots from as early as 1947. Among the standout pieces is the strapless Fête au Village dress from spring 1955, described as “so fresh, so radiant, so delicate in its treatment of flowers and light, airy fabrics.” Together, the shows offer a rare and intimate dialogue between two masters of form—one discovering his path, the other defining it.