Azzedine Alaia's three Paris apartments

A peek inside: Azzedine Alaia's three Paris apartments
The much admired Tunisian Azzedine Alaïa, has given the opportunity to anyone from the outside to get a feel of his lifestyle and appreciation of the world of design from the inside.

Mr. Alaïa has converted a 300 sqm loft hosted in a traditional 17th century building in the very private Rue de Moussy of Marais district in Paris, into three exclusive apartments/suites.

It really does not get more boutique then this. The idea behind these three 100sqm apartments is for a lover of fashion & design visitor to get a feel of the true Parisian life. It is a hotel concept which incorporates the necessary facilities of daily life.

Each interior has a private entrance and once inside, a complete fitted kitchen meets all the needs of the guests. The fashion designer’s aim was to achieve a true feeling of a home away from home. It is important to have the luxury of a hotel but at the same time to open the door and feel that you are somewhere familiar and close to you.

Azzedine Alaïa himself designed all the interiors and this has given us an opportunity to see his personal style and sense of living. The overall structure is kept to a white palette exuberating purity and openness. Colour is introduced dominantly through the kitchen’s flamboyant cabinetry, which is different in every apartment.

The 60’s inspired colors are present also in the furniture pieces are vibrant and controlled in a surprising kind of way. The bedrooms keep to a subtle and warm pallet creating an atmospheric environment for relaxation, toned down and calm with an attention to detail everywhere.

It is in apartments such as these with true old-fashioned attention to detail that make you reminisce of the old times. A great example of this is the sliding wardrobe in the sleeping quarters. Here we see the introduction of two finishing materials presented both in the exterior and interior. The wooden drawers, together with the bottom supports for the green shelves, pay beautiful attention to detailed craftsmanship.

The furniture & lighting within the interiors have been selected from a range of the designer’s favorites. Jean Prouve, Marc Newson, Arne Jacobsen, Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Paulin and Andre Sornay are everywhere, they surround you and they make your stay - oh - so much more delightful. Everything has been selected so that it can be appreciated. Each item has its space and area around it in order to understand its importance. The nakedness of the walls has a lot to do with the sense of looseness and lightness you feel when inside. No excess artwork or decorative objects just openness and design. This approach to all three ‘suites’ simply leaves room for inspiration.

We were also very surprised to find out that breakfast is served from the designer’s private kitchen, as his quarters ( boutique, altelier, showroom, warehouse and private dwelling) are a stone throw away; a personal touch of simplicity and personality.

Azzedine Alaïa has opened the doors to his personal preference of living in absolute style. We were not surprised to discover that this meant an appreciation towards the old, attention to detail, where less means more in order to make room for admiration.