ALAÏA, the exhibition

Inventing new shapes out of simple interplay between complex stitchings, Azzedine Alaïa became the creator of a timeless body of work. His influence on today's fashion is fundamental. An indefatigable worker and a sublime shaper of his own persona, he continues to go his own way, preferring 'garments that last' to those that vanish with the season. An insatiable lover of the opposite sex, he likes to say, 'I make clothes, women make fashion'. The models and women friends he has brought to the world - among others Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour, Linda Spierings, Linda Evangelista, Veronica Webb and Yasmin Le Bon - are also his most faithful admirers.

The Palais Galliera is honoring Azzedine Alaïa with its opening exhibition. This first Paris retrospective, presented in the Palais's newly renovated galleries and in the Matisse Room at the Musée d'Art moderne of the City of Paris, comprises a selection of seventy iconic models retracing a unique creative career.