The little master

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Alaïa constructed each garment by hand and refused to bow to the pressures of Fashion Week deadlines, instead working to his own schedule. His collaborative approach earned him an esteemed client list including Greta Garbo, Grace Jones, Michelle Obama, Naomi Campbell and Rihanna. "My obsession is to make women beautiful," said Alaïa. "When you create with that in mind, things can't go out of fashion." Ultimately, he dedicated his life to a more utopian vision than just fashion, believing that the clothes he made furthered the empowerment of women and became part of a broader cultural conversation. Says Jean-Paul Gaultier of the designer: "A big master! Brilliantly combining the technique, the sewing know-how, the tradition and the modernity!" See it all until October 7.