Alaïa and Pieter Mulier Part Ways After a Transformative Five-Year Run
Alaïa has officially confirmed the departure of creative director Pieter Mulier, closing a five-year chapter defined by creative revival and significant commercial growth. The Belgian designer will present his final collection for the house in March, during Paris Fashion Week, with the Fall 2026 show.
In a brief statement released Friday, Alaïa—owned by Compagnie Financière Richemont—praised Mulier’s vision and impact, while emphasizing the strength and continuity of the maison beyond any single individual. No successor has been named, and the design studio will ensure continuity in the interim.
“Pieter and the exceptional team he led shaped a powerful creative renewal for Alaïa,” said CEO Myriam Serrano, crediting his tenure with reinforcing the house’s global relevance and confidence while honoring its heritage.
Since joining Alaïa three years after the death of founder Azzedine Alaïa, Mulier injected fresh energy into the brand, reinterpreting its codes of hyper-femininity, sculptural precision, and empowerment through a modern, experimental lens. His collections balanced rigor with sensuality, often pushing technique to conceptual extremes—most notably a Fall 2024 collection built around a single merino thread, and a Guggenheim presentation composed entirely without buttons or zippers.
Under his creative direction, Alaïa also expanded aggressively on the business side. The house nearly quadrupled its retail footprint to around 20 standalone stores and saw strong growth in accessories, driven by cult hits such as the mesh ballet flats, the Teckel bag, and newer designs like Le Click. Richemont has cited Alaïa as a notable growth driver within its fashion and leather goods portfolio, and industry sources estimate the brand has more than doubled in size during Mulier’s tenure.
True to the spirit of Azzedine Alaïa, Mulier initially rejected traditional fashion calendars, staging shows in unconventional locations—from a penthouse in Antwerp to the Guggenheim Museum in New York—before later returning the brand to the official Paris ready-to-wear schedule and opening new flagships in Paris and Beijing.
Mulier was named International Designer of the Year at the 2025 CFDA Awards, recognition of a body of work widely praised for its boldness and intellectual rigor.
While Alaïa has not commented on his next move, industry expectations point toward Versace in Milan, following recent leadership changes at the Italian house. Mulier himself has previously cited Versace—alongside Azzedine Alaïa—as a formative influence.
