What lies beneath: Celebrating 35 years of fashion by Azzedine Alaïa

An exhibition celebrating 35 years of fashion by Azzedine Alaïa, couture’s rebellious outsider, opened at London’s Design Museum this week. Rachel Marie Walsh discovers the stories behind the designs on a guided tour from curator Mark Wilson.

Cher Horwitz, the Clueless teen whose wisdom often undermines the film’s title, sewed Azzedine Alaïa’s name in the minds of girls everywhere when she resisted damaging one of his dresses at gunpoint. Alaïa was a “totally important designer”.