>> Despite the prevailing '80s mood of the season, at his private show today, Azzedine Alaia only looked forward: "I don't believe in looking back — I don't want to revisit the 1980s." Both Suzy Menkes and Cathy Horyn were present for the unveiling, the former describing:

"Signature knits and leathers, woven into bouncy skirts that might have open-work decoration or intricate embellishment. Cut-out feather effects were hand-painted with streaks of white, while white cotton blouses also freshened up the tough side of black leather.  Coats cinched at the waist and small leather jackets, whether in classy crocodile or pony skin treated to look like miniature leopard spots. The same pattern appeared on the knitted dress, form-fitting but kicking out at the hem."

Cathy Horyn, meanwhile, noted:

"Full leather skirts that flutter with strips of feathered suede or leather, streamlined boleros in wool or leather that close asymmetrically, and a remarkable black leather coat with graduated cutouts down the spine and at the sides and front. Knits with fine brown-gold spots on white suggest abstract leopard — or, at a distance, lace."

The Screen Actors Guild dress Alaia outfitted Penelope Cruz in must have stuck with him, because the collection's eveningwear was velvet bias-cut gowns, in black or brown.

UPDATE: More pictures and details.
*image: source, source