Alaïa Wants You to Relax With a New Knitwear Collection—Shop it Here
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In searching for inspiration for its latest collection of comfort-minded clothes, Alaïa found it in the trove of good design that is their archive. For his spring 1992 collection, Azzedine Alaïa debuted what he dubbed the Relax fabric—a rayon, nylon, and carbon blended material developed in part by Florence-based textile manufacturer Lineapiù.
Alaïa reprised this fabric in its new “Relax” collection, which launches on Net-a-Porter today and features a range of versatile knits designed for performance but inspired by couture. Like everything that bears the Alaïa label, this assortment of second-skin bodysuits, leggings, sweaters, and tops is impeccably crafted.
Almost every piece in the collection evokes corsetry, only here, instead of rigid understructures, there are tiny slits lined with a fishnet-like textile. The resulting effect looks not unlike a cinched and boned corset. This element surrounds the band of a high-waisted pair of leggings, adds a peekaboo element to a bustier-like crop top, and decorates the middle of a bodysuit. The detail helps to differentiate the collection from the endless sea of athleisurewear options but also, it pays homage to Alaïa’s fascination with elevating the body through stretch fabrics, seaming, and corsetry.
The ten pieces in the Relax collection come in black and a deep, elegant garnet red. It all makes for a soft armor that’s intended to hug, sheath, and enhance the body for performance and, yes, for relaxation. Here, shop the limited-edition, archival-inspired collection.
