Pieter Mulier turned Alaïa into a cold house – which is why I’ve never been entirely convinced by his vision there. Now that he’s working on Versace, the Parisian maison has been left to its own devices. And maybe that’s for the better. This studio-designed collection felt a tad warmer (but not hot) than the house’s repertoire of the past few years, while also being more essential. Gone were the weird, overly architectural structures Mulier couldn’t seem to stop using to cover women up. What Alaïa needs – and deserves – now is a bit of va-va-voom. Maybe the studio has it. We might just need a season to see it fully unleashed.

All collages by Edward Kanarecki.

Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram.

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe.