He was a star in the 1980s and is a veritable cult hero now, but can Tunisian-born designer Azzedine Alaïa be considered the Walt Disney of fashion?
His Paris headquarters does feel like a miniature theme park. Among its attractions are the main shop; a showroom (occasionally used as a gallery); Alaïa's spacious atelier; his private residence; and a very chic three-room boutique hotel furnished with vintage pieces from the designer's personal collection, including items by Jean Prouve and Marc Newson.
The latest addition is a circular shoe shop designed by Newson with architect Sebastien Segers. The pair recently collaborated on another retail project, a Tokyo boutique for French jewellery designer Marie-Helene de Taillac.
At only 23 sq m, you could easily call the Paris store a shrine. Covered in pale Carrara marble, the shop evokes contemplation. As it probably should: shoe buying is a serious business. The shoes are presented in small alcoves lined with pale leather, like museum pieces or jewels. Café au lait-coloured leather cushions cover a bench that sits around a distinctly palatial central column, softening the marble's austere effect and making the space look supremely elegant.
INFORMATION
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