A couturier renowned for his masterful cutting skills, Azzedine Alaïa became a discerning fashion collector with some 600 pieces by Christian Dior preserved by the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation. Identified and documented thanks to the invaluable collaboration of Dior Heritage, more than a hundred of these pieces are being unveiled for the first time at La Galerie Dior, underscoring the designer’s admiration for Christian Dior and his successors, from Yves Saint Laurent to John Galliano.

“Christian Dior’s models testify to the relentless quest that Azzedine Alaïa had unwaveringly set his heart upon. In search of the mysteries of dresses and the delicate structures that make vaporous petticoats ‘stand up’, he skillfully brought together the objects of his adolescent dreams,” said Olivier Saillard, director of the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation.

Based on Azzedine Alaïa’s collection, the exhibition explores both the tastes of the founding-couturier and the elements that constitute his style: the invention of the line, the sumptuousness of the fabrics and the variety of their palette, the technique essential to the architecture of the designs, and the equilibrium of the wardrobe sported by clients from morning to night.

In parallel, the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation is presenting a unique exhibition of the works of these two “masters of couture” at its Paris venue. About thirty Christian Dior models, united by Azzedine Alaïa and juxtaposed with an equal number of his own creations, convey how the influence of the inventor of the New Look is manifest at the heart of his art.

La Galerie Dior retraces the history and legend of the House through the prism of both its heritage and its fabulous reinventions. In a unique scenographic narrative, La Galerie Dior spotlights the spirit of haute couture while perpetuating the legacy of this historic address, unveiling models, original sketches, photographs, and archival documents, as well as accessories and exceptional pieces.

The exhibition at La Galerie Dior located at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris will run until May 17, 2026.