No fuss, more impact. As always out of schedule, but with friends and cozy atmosphere, Alaia presented his new collection, that is the first one after his recent Musee Galliera exhibition. And, it was totally Alaia. Nothing mind-breaking, but only, and only, class and elegance. Leather, pony hair, knitted body dresses, hooded gowns… and everything kept in toned colours. Mainly, Alaïa stuck to subtle silhouette updates, offering a roomier V-neck jumper and adding a rectangular fringe—occasionally knotted—to the edge of his skirts to give them a fresh swish in place of his typical flounce. A technique he dubbed “Religieuse” combined larger organ pleats with interior accordion pleats, and on a floor-grazing skirt or a truncated cape, the result was something akin to seeing Sister in the corner office. Indeed, with the recurrence of all those starched white poplin shirts, Alaïa further confirmed how his view of femininity has shifted since his heyday of cleavage-bearing necklines.