>> There are few designers these days that can succeed without hopping onto the fashion train in some way — even Margiela sold a majority stake to Diesel — but Azzedine Alaia has done just that.  After all these years, he still remains a mystery — he has no website, and as The Imagist points out — "no seasonal shows, no advertising, no freestanding boutique network, very little retail outlets, and product that is about its own consistent identity, not the whims of a fashion moment."  Seeing his Spring 2009 lookbook, shot by Willy Vanderperre with Kasia Struss, seems like such a treat — mostly because of his elusiveness, but also because the black velvet gown he dressed Penelope Cruz in for the SAG Awards last weekend really whets the appetite.
*image: source