Azzedine Alaïa: Sculpting Fashion

Azzedine Alaïa: Sculpting Fashion, the first major United States retrospective dedicated to the work of the famed couturier, opens November 21, 2026, at the Legion of Honor. Alaïa revolutionized fashion in the 1980s and 1990s by designing garments that celebrated the natural curves of women’s bodies, while also challenging the conventions and unrelenting pace of the fashion industry. The legacy of the Tunisian-born, Paris-based designer is defined by his compelling vision, technical sophistication, and uncompromising devotion to couture craftsmanship. The exhibition will present 80 garments from across Alaïa’s celebrated career as a designer, as well as pieces from his remarkable historical collections, from which he drew inspiration and technical understanding. Sculpting Fashion will also feature Alaïa designs worn by Tina Turner, Grace Jones, and Rihanna. “With technical rigor and an understanding of form rooted in his education as a sculptor and his study of historical design, Azzedine Alaïa reshaped fashion history,” said Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. “The first major US exhibition on the designer, Azzedine Alaïa: Sculpting Fashion will be installed throughout the Legion of Honor's European art galleries and our special-exhibition galleries, bringing Alaïa's legacy to life and continuing the Fine Arts Museums’ rich tradition of presenting innovative exhibitions on designers who have made critical contributions to the fashion canon."

San Francisco, California
94121  US