This Designer Face Mask by Azzedine Alaia Is the Ultimate Stealth Status Symbol and Half the Profits Go To Charity
The late couturier Azzedine Alaïa holds legendary status in the fashion universe and this house designed protective face mask is the ultimate in stealth status symbols.
When the Maison Alaïa first released this protective face mask earlier this summer, it was only available in one place, the storied boutique on rue de Moussy in Paris’ Marais district.
Now, however, it has quietly dropped online as well, discretely, because Alaïa, known for its timeless designs, doesn’t do shouting either.
The protective face mask is made of soft black cotton mesh embellished with the house signature Vienne motif that you’ll find in various permutations across accessories and ready-to-wear. It’s washable and reusable and comes with an interior pouch for inserting a regulation surgical mask inside.
Half of the profits from the sale will be donated to the Imagine Institute, engaged in research on genetic diseases, with which Azzedine Alaïa has collaborated since its creation and has supported for nearly 10 years.
Buy Now: Alaïa Protective Face Mask, $160
The Tunis born couturier, equally known for his cutting skills as his single-mindedness, was a forerunner of the current trend of ripping up the fashion show calendar perpetuated by Saint Laurent, Celine and friends.
Azzedine Alaïa would always show off schedule, basically when he felt like it. His final runway outing, in July 2017 was both opened and closed by Naomi Campbell.
For the record, he also edited the orders of buyers, something to which even Hedi Slimane can only aspire.
And here’s one for anyone Paris bound for the upcoming if somewhat reduced incarnation of Paris Fashion Week. On Sunday Sept 28, the house is staging the second instalment of its ALAÏA et BALENCIAGA: Sculptors of Form exhibition.
The show will pair pieces from the Balenciaga archive, owned by the late M. Alaia, with pieces from his own label’s archive. The big idea? To show the dialogue between the two houses and the shared elements of their creative process.
The first chapter focused on black and white but the second wave promises a riot of color where blinding Balenciaga pinks meet Alaïa’s signature intense red.
Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, 18 rue de la Verriere, 75004 Paris, until January 2021.
Source: footwearnews
