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The news of his death in 2017 sparked tributes from many in the fashion world. Edward Enninful, editor of Vogue magazine, said he was a true visionary, and a remarkable man. “He will be deeply missed by all of those who knew and loved him, as well as by the women around the world who wore his clothes.”
This man was Azzedine Alaïa, known as the King of Cling, who led the trend of corsets in the 80s. This was not the first time this type of clothing which outlines a woman’s body had been seen. The last time it became a trend was in the late 40s and 50s. The earliest known corsets can be traced back to 1500 B.C. in the form of stiffened belts drawn in the Minoan pottery.
But the corset he made did not function to restrict the waistline as it used to. His pieces fit like a second skin, never restricting a woman’s natural silhouette or movement. This is due to his experience making costumes for erotic dancers, which taught him where to put seams. He celebrates the body and muscle, which goes hand in hand with the movement trend started by Jane Fonda’s aerobics and Olivia Newton-John’s MV for the song Physical in the 80s.