For the Alaïa Fall 2020 RTW collection, the studio picked up on the designer’s fascination with ergonomy. Starting with archival samples and a lifetime’s worth of research, it delved into origami-inspired pleating and came up with a new, openwork iteration that, while visibly true to house codes also pushed the story forward.

Knits also proved a foil for a leather corset belt with fringes that fell to mid-thigh. Impractical though it may be, in a season heavy with fringe, that would-be skirt was one of the most compelling pieces around. In that spirit, there were also a few fringed jackets extrapolated from one Mr. Alaïa had left unfinished on a mannequin in his studio.

Elsewhere, a sunflower print paid homage to Cristobal Balenciaga. With more than 500 pieces in his personal trove, Mr. Alaïa was one of the world’s biggest Balenciaga collectors, and the Spanish designer’s favorite bloom appeared freshly reworked in muted hues, in Alaïa’s signature shapes newly cut from habotai, a diaphanous Japanese technical silk that slips through the fingers like water.

His signature leopard print also appeared in various iterations, in a gathered and belted coat or a knit bodice on an evening gown. Other highlights included velvet dresses in true black or faux blacks, like deep burgundy or forest green, and an eye-catching jacket and skirt ensemble in laser-cut, embroidered leather.