After Alaïa’s Fall/Winter season of purity and precision, bolstered by the commercial success of their Le Teckel leather bags and mesh ballet flats, creative director Pieter Mulier started a new chapter, presenting a Summer/Fall collection centred around bulbous silhouettes, intricate sewing techniques, and masterful material craftsmanship. The house chose to stay close to home, presenting in its Paris atelier complete with sculptures by Dutch artist Mark Manders, who explores the passage of time through bronze. Mulier drew inspiration from Manders' work, sharing, "Manders’ work fascinates me—each of his sculptures seem itself a work either in progress, or marked by the passage of an imaginary time, reminiscent at once of many different cultures. And that idea of a non-linearity—of space, and of time—was inspiring. The idea of codes of beauty outside of any era or geography, free of boundaries, is innately keyed to the philosophy of Alaïa, our identity."

Mulier set out to redefine the way clothing encases the female body, treating it as both fabric art and sculpture. Models walked in stocking-like tops that enveloped their bodies, with padded rolls framing their faces in shades of black, beige, burgundy and cobalt blue—creating a sense of protection from the outside world. These second-skin tops were often paired with flowing, long skirts that accentuated the hips with padded rolls, some crafted in plissé jersey, wool, or cashmere, others featuring suspended curtains of twisted rope, adding movement and texture. This element of protection extended into outerwear. Leather trench coats inflated at the neck or along the front hem, oversized plush fur coats, and cropped crocheted sculptural jackets in black then white mimicked interwoven metal chains, featuring a rounded collar that extended from the neck to the hips and shoulders, vaguely resembling a safety jacket.

This silhouette was translated onto wool tops and dressed with oversized rounded ruffles at the hips and shoulders, resembling an anemone and once an amalgamation of flowers. This “under the sea” theme was continued with matching sets of folded and twisted jersey chiffons, as well as layered tightly rolled jersey pieces resembling tentacles and making up skirts, paired with open turtlenecks fastened at by a dahlia flower.

Backstage, Mulier expressed being inspired by the hidden "fil rouge" that brings all these shapes and textures together. This ethnographic perspective was reflected in more Alaïa-centric looks, such as jersey maxi dresses knotted at the neck, bust, waist and hips, with some knots centred and others positioned at the side. Asymmetrical plissé tunics with sculptural cutouts at the waist added to the intrigue. It goes without saying that Mulier has expanded the boundaries of Alaïa’s silhouette and elevated the conversation around clothing as both protection and art.