Azzedine Alaïa Spring 1984 Dress

Azzedine Alaïa’s hooded open-back dress from Spring 1984 is an important early example of one of his most iconic silhouettes. Created during the early years of his ready-to-wear line, which began in 1982, the design reflects Alaïa’s sculptural training and his fascination with the female form. Tailored from silky stretch-jersey, it is designed to hang off the body - revealing, but only so much. It has a low-cut cross-over front and wide waistband. The draped sleeves give way to a large fluid hood, contrasting the sensuous open-back. The dress closes at the rear with a row of tonal snap closures. The skirt is panelled, creating a slight kick-flare silhouette.

The hooded dress soon became a house signature, first gaining international attention when Grace Jones wore a now-legendary version in the 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill. Examples from this era are held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, exemplifying Alaïa’s mastery in blending Eastern and Western influences: the designs are at once modest and revealing, concealing the body while accentuating its form. It was also photographed on Marisa Berenson for Robert Mapplethorpe's 1989 book "Some Woman". Decades later, the hooded dress remains one of fashion’s most enduring icons, reinterpreted and worn by modern muses including Rihanna, Zendaya, Margot Robbie, Bella Hadid, and Janet Jackson.

• Alaïa Spring 1984 • Stretch-jersey fabric • Hooded • Open-Back • Low-cut front • Snap closures at back • Made in France

Fabric: Stretch-jersey
Size on Label: French 44, UK 10, US 6
Stretch: No
Care: Dry clean only
Condition: Excellent

Length (shoulder to bottom hem): 131 cm (51.5 inch)
Bust: 96 cm (38 inch)
Waist: 64 cm (25 inch)
Hips: 86.5 cm (34 inch)