Following a trend of designers situating their collections around America (see Dior pre-fall), Pieter Mulier hosted his show for Alaïa at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, marking the first time a fashion runway has been held at this venue. The American venue was, initially, a suggestion from Anna Wintour, who saw a distinct American kinship in Mulier’s work—presumably linked to his cleanness, shared puritan attitude, and fascination with sportswear. It was also no coincidence that Azzedine Alaïa (the house founder who passed away in 2017) showcased his work in America twice, in 1982 and 1985, making the house’s return even more welcome.

Towards the central atrium, models descended the helical ramps of the Guggenheim, which spiral around the perimeter like a hot wheels roller coaster. The museum’s architectural structure plays with modes of geometry, circularity and, by extension, infinity; the latter is what Mulier used to inform the 47 looks on show. He presented a stark white dress with a hanging fine chain suspended, almost weightless, and layered over a camel bandeau (Wright would call this “plasticity of organic forms”). For those who were trying to spy a more literal reference to America despite the geo-location, here we could see a stylistic nod to the work of Roy Halston and his jersey dresses.

Taking the ziggurat effect more literally, Mulier showed a candy-coloured chubby with a coil etched into the pile, crisscrossing the jacket and sleeves. Another chubby in a chalky off-white featured tendril-like pieces that created a buoyant visual movement as the model walked.

A series of low-slung short skirts with fluted hems appeared, one in butter yellow, another in black with a matching flowing cape, and a smoky pink version. All were paired with bandeau tops, which evolved into fine mesh knit versions, some worn with matching pants beneath fluted skirts. Capes accompanied these looks, some hooded, recalling Azzedine Alaïa’s designs for singer Grace Jones in 1985.

Knitwear is integral to Alaïa’s brand identity, and here Mulier rendered it sensuous and form-fitting, a fitting tribute to Alaïa’s social title as the ‘King of Cling’. At times the weave of the black mesh grew larger, lending a three-dimensional quality. At other times they were finer; think the high-neck floor length dress with long sleeves and the addition of lurex to the thread.

The third section of the presentation is when Mulier’s designs became more sculptural, responding to the museum’s art collection of post-Impressionist, Modernist, and contemporary works (including pieces by Constantin Brâncuși, Alexander Calder and Hans Arp). There were cropped jackets with inner wadding that followed the shoulder contours and rolled at the nape. Asymmetry appeared with bandeaus seemingly suspended, while fuller skirts fell in large billowing folds from a large basque —either in soft pink or black . Ruching across the body and full sleeves, along with parachute trousers in sky blue or sunshine yellow, combined couture with technical sport fabrics.

The finale featured garments that defied gravity, much like the Guggenheim itself. The clothing seemed to clip onto the models, articulated and structured. Two dresses, one in pastel pink and another in vermilion, had cut-out sections coursing down the torso; the cut extended to the crotch before draping into a full skirt. To pull from Hans Arp’s Overturned Blue Shoe with Two Heels Under a Black Vault (1925), the gowns draw their dynamism from their negative space.

Mulier has long held an affinity for America and American fashion. This may stem from his time managing the creative teams at Calvin Klein from 2016 until his departure in 2019, or from his vast personal collection of American garments spanning the 1930s to the 1980s; think: Claire McCardell, Pauline Trigère, Halston. For his Summer Alaïa collection, he synthesised the elements that make America (namely New York) a fashion hub, with a focus on those designers of yore who created simple pieces with complex craftsmanship. 

The collection was a departure from the ‘quiet luxury’ and tonal dressing snooze, allowing for a return to something more sexy, in that distinctly American way.