Azzedine Alaia and the Women Who Love Him… And His Shoes

Azzedine Alaia is a Tunisian designer who shot to fame in the '80s for his clinging, skintight dresses before fading into relative obscurity in the '90s (except for a brief mention of his name in the Alicia Silverstone teen flick Clueless). In 2000, he resurfaced and signed a contract with the House of Prada, and although he's been able to buy back his brand name, his shoes are still produced through the fashion monolith.

Although Alaia became famous in the '80s for his sexy dresses, it's safe to say that Alaia is currently better known for his fierce footwear designs. Alaia got an ounce of extra fame when a photo of Lindsay Lohan in a pair of his sexy gladiator boots surfaced in magazines and on the Net. Some people thought the boots were a horrendous crime against fashion, while some argued that the gladiator boots were smoking hot and a good way to wear boots even in summer. Everyone agreed that the boots would have looked better if Lindsay's little toe wasn't sticking out of one of the cutout holes.


Recently, Alaia got even more publicity when First Lady Michelle Obama wore a dress of his design at a NATO dinner (I have no idea what shoes she was wearing, though). Michelle Obama, judging by the number of times she's been photographed wearing Alaia designs, is a huge fan.

Alaia's shoes usually look like they belong on the feet of a vampy supermodel with legs that go on for miles.


Other celebrities have been seen out and about in Azzedine Alaia shoes. Sandra Bullock, Claudia Schiffer, Leighton Meester, Hilary Duff, Rebecca Romjin, and Zoe Saldana are just a few of the celebs that have been seen rocking Azzedine Alaia heels, boots and booties. Azzedine Alaia's shoes are downright covetable, and the only downside is the extremely steep price tag. A pair of Azzedine Alaia cutout booties will set you back around $2000. Definitely not chump change by most people's standards.

Since it's probably going to be a while before I get rich enough to be able to afford authentic Alaia heels, I'll settle for cheap but chic alternatives. But if you want Alaia shoes and you can afford them, go ahead. Alaia shoes are works of art in their own right, and will probably end up becoming classics.