It’s hard to believe that it has been five years since the sad passing of the beloved Tunisian couturier Azzedine Alaïa, who passed away at the age of 82 on November 18, 2017, in Paris. Following his death, the house announced the continuation of the brand with a number of events and exhibitions, the appointment of Belgian designer Pieter Muller as the house’s new creative director in 2019, a slick new website, a full collection of accessories, and even the opening of a restaurant in Paris. Indeed, the maison has been very busy over the last couple of years, under the fresh direction of Muller. Now, Alaïa is introducing its first-ever sneaker collaboration with surprise partnership with Italian footwear label Superga, this month.
Designed by Muller, the Alaïa x Superga sneaker comes in four distinct, limited-edition silhouettes, that flawlessly marry the Parisian label’s exquisite craft with Superga’s unmistakable shape and clean lines.
The low-top Superga 2790 sneaker features monochrome white canvas uppers with Alaïa’s signature geometric “double-A” stitching and thick platform soles and retails for $510.
Meanwhile, the $710 version of the fanciful footwear comes in black and comprises reptile-print leather uppers, silver eyelets, and leather insoles.
The offering also reinvented Superga’s 2750 sneakers, a low-top sneaker that comes in black and white colorways.
Available at Alaïa stores and online, the collaboration is ongoing, and will release new styles in the Spring 2023 season.
The Alaïa x Superga collaboration was not on our 2022 bingo card. Alaïa was known for its form-flattering, handmade couture creations that would be unveiled in the designer’s own terms, defying the traditional fashion week calendar. “I refuse to do things that I don’t want to. I do what I want. I am free,” he once famously said. Indeed, the couturier, dubbed “The King of Cling,” had uncompromising values and put his passion for his craft above business and profit. But times are changing, and it appears that the storied maison is changing with the times.
