Azzedine Alaia, The Couturier Who Shaped Women
6/12/2026 | 53m 12sVideo has Closed Captions
Born in Tunisia in 1935 into a family of farmers, Azzedine Alaïa became passionate about fashion.
Born in Tunisia in 1935 into a family of farmers, Azzedine Alaïa became passionate about fashion at a very early age. He took some lessons from his sculpture classes and, as fashion “is not a man’s job in Tunisia”, he flew to Paris in 1956.
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ALL ARTS Documentary Selects is a local public television program presented by WLIW PBS
Azzedine Alaia, The Couturier Who Shaped Women
6/12/2026 | 53m 12sVideo has Closed Captions
Born in Tunisia in 1935 into a family of farmers, Azzedine Alaïa became passionate about fashion at a very early age. He took some lessons from his sculpture classes and, as fashion “is not a man’s job in Tunisia”, he flew to Paris in 1956.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship[ Cheers and applause ] Group: [ Chanting ] Azzedine!
Azzedine!
Azzedine!
Azzedine!
Azzedine!
Azzedine!
Azzedine!
Azzedine!
Azzedine!
Azzedine!
♪♪ ♪♪ Cher: ...Azzedine Alaïa.
[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ Woman: Azzedi-i-i-i-i-ne!
♪♪ We feel so strong and powerful.
[ Speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ Woman: We all love Azzedine.
Woman: Why?
Because he's Azzedine!
♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking French ] [ Woman singing in Arabic, mid-tempo music playing ] [ Indistinct conversations ] Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Whistle blows ] von Weyhe: [ Speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Birds chirping ] Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Engine starts ] Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] [ Woman speaking French ] [ Laughter ] Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] [ Dog growls ] [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Indistinct conversations ] [ Bell chimes ] [ Man speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ Khelfa: [ Speaking French ] [ Mid-tempo music playing, camera shutters clicking ] von Weyhe: [ Speaking French ] Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] Sozzani: [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] Oh, you are from New York?
Woman: Yes.
[ Indistinct conversations ] [ Speaking French ] [ Zipper opening ] Woman: That's great.
Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] Oh, I love that palette.
It's wonderful.
Is this by any chance -- Will you ask if this is being sold in America?
[ Woman speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] Woman: Not the blouse, but the suit.
I love the blouse.
Oh, that is just fantastic.
[ Indistinct conversations, Alaïa speaking French ] Fantastic.
It's fantastic.
[ Indistinct conversations ] [ Laughing ] Woman: I like this color, too.
It's very similar.
[ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Woman laughing ] [ Laughs ] [ Speaking French ] Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Man speaking French ] [ Indistinct conversations ] Khelfa: [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] Khelfa: [ Speaking French ] [ Applause ] [ Laughter ] [ Applause ] [ Indistinct conversations, camera shutters clicking ] [ Applause ] [ Group murmuring, applauding ] Saillard: [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Laughs ] Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] Reporter: Shapemaker Azzedine Alaïa, the Paris designer who shows a body best.
Azzedine sculpts material for ultimate shape and curves.
Azzedine has always tailored a body-conscious silhouette, and this fall, the shapely silhouette is making fashion headlines.
His attention to detail and eye for the human form are the Azzedine Alaïa signature.
♪ Do you believe in wonder ♪ ♪ Do you believe in dreams ♪ ♪ While you're watching the violence ♪ ♪ On a TV screen?
♪ [ Man speaking French ] I like this one.
Do you like that one?
Do you like this?
Because there... it just gets straight.
You know, you can see a little bit bulging.
Mm-hmm.
[ Shutter clicking, bulb popping ] Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] [ Fanfare plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ Un Oscar pour... Azzedine Alaïa.
[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Man speaking French ] [ Cheering, applause continue ] [ Man speaking French ] Voilà.
Voilà.
[ Cheers and applause ] [ Man speaking French ] ...la sublime Cher.
[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ Man: [ Speaking French ] And the winner is Azzedine Alaïa.
[ Cheers and applause ] Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] [ Indistinct conversations ] Khelfa: [ Speaking French ] Goude: [ Speaking French ] ♪♪ [ Indistinct conversations, man singing in Arabic ] [ Music continues ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Camera shutters clicking ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music stops ] [ Indistinct conversations ] [ Machinery humming, hammers tapping ] Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] von Weyhe: [ Speaking French ] [ Man speaking French ] [ Mid-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Woman speaking French, Alaïa speaking French ] Goude: [ Speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Man speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Man speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] Sozzani: [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Wind whistling ] Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] [ Indistinct conversations ] Sozzani: [ Speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Sozzani: [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] Saillard: [ Speaking French ] Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] Fabre-Bazin: [ Speaking French ] [ Indistinct conversations ] [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Laughter ] ♪♪ ♪♪ Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Sozzani: [ Speaking French ] [ Speaking French ] [ Up-tempo folk music playing ] ♪♪ [ Woman singing in Arabic ] ♪♪ Alaïa: [ Speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪
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