Mister D: I had some inquiries about the dress Bette Midler wore last night, so I asked about it…and surprise, surprise I got an answer. She was wearing Alaia….which is, I am told, “Fabulous!”
Here’s some information on this popular designer:
Azzedine Alaia’s place in the design hall of fame is guaranteed – his signature being the second skin that he crates when challenging the boundaries of flesh and fabric.
Alaia was born in Tunisia in the 1940s to wheat farming parents. A French friend of his mother’s fed Alaia’s instinctive creativity with copies of Vogue and lied about his age to get him into the local Ecole des Beaux-Arts to study sculpture – a discipline in which he didn’t excel, but that he would put to good use in the future. After spotting an ad for a vacancy at a dressmaker’s, Alaia’s sister taught him to sew and he started making copies of couture dresses for neighbours.
Soon afterwards, he went to Paris to work for Christian Dior, but managed only five days of sewing labels before being fired. Alaia moved to Guy Laroche, where for two seasons he learned his craft while earning his keep as housekeeper to the Marquise de Mazan. In 1960, the Blegiers family snapped up Alaia, and for the next five years he was both housekeeper and dressmaker to the Countess and her friends, mixing with glamorous Paris society; a clientele that followed him when he started out on his own.
His first prêt-a-porter collection for Charles Jourdan in the 1970s was not well received, but eventually fashion editors tuned into Alaia’s modern elegance – something that would eventually come to define body conscious aesthetics a decade later. Worldwide success followed with exhibitions, awards, supermodel disciples and the power to command an audience outside of the catwalk schedule: Alaia shows when he wants, regardless of the round of timetabled international fashion weeks, and editors never miss it.
In 2000, Alaia joined forces with the Prada group. The same year, a solo exhibition at the New York Guggenheim confirmed his status as a major influence that goes beyond fashion. Alaïa still designs, and is based in Paris.
The Look: His designs were generally made from black or dark solid colours, and his dresses were tight, showing off every curve. Many feature a deeply scooped back.
Who wears it: Bette Midler, Madonna, Tina Turner, Gwen Stefani, LeAnn Rimes, Heidi Klum, Mariah Carey, Victoria Beckham, Ashley Olsens, Naomi Campbell, Katie Holmes, Vanessa Traina, Julia Roberts, Jada Pinkett Smith, Stephanie Seymour, Katherine Heigl, Cameron Diaz, and Naomi Campbell
Related articles
- Alaia and the Celebs Who Love It (fabsugar.com)
HOLY CRAP, SHE LOOKS GOOD!
She does! I think this award really meant a lot to her!
She looks freakin amazing! I really do like that dress, so cute!
Yeah it is….and I just want to thank you for all the past comments you have made. You’ve always been a great support for BLB
I expected to see Bette get the award for Best Dressed on this week’s Fashion Police. She looks incredible from head to toe! (Why does Fashion Police always focus on people like Lindsay Lohan and Rihanna? Let’s give a nod to some of the best dressed who have been around awhile). Anyway, I digress. It’s wonderful to see Bette look so smokin hot at this Awards presentation. She looks radiant, youthful and simply perfect…..Thanks, Mister D!
Thanks for the post….I don’t think they talk about anybody over a certain age, but I bet some mag is talking about it!
Aw thanks Mr D…I’m grateful that you are able to share your information on Bette with us and that you care enough to take the time to do it!
Thank you Andrea! And I really meant what I said….xx
Bette looks radiant, almost glowing. Her face looks youthful and her body is amazing. Best dressed woman of any age, it allw roms and she looks beautfiul and elegant. Stevie Nicks nailed it when she said Bette was a songwriters dream, nobody, NOBODY, can take a song and make ou feel the emotion behind it, she is peerless in that regard. Excellent observation.
Bravo, I’m sure we all agree!
Sorry for the typos, it is difficult to write a real long anything on an iPad’s tiny keyboard. I forgot what I meant to say but it was ALL GOOD!
Bette Midler is one of a kind, and her acceptance comments were worthy of her wit and self deprecating humor. She truly is the only person in show business who can do it ALL, and well. I am now going to go away and stay quiet and….
LOL You’re not alone with working the iPad….it’s just nice you dropped in!