A significant creative shift is taking place in the world of high fashion. Pieter Mulier, the Belgian designer and Creative Director of Maison Alaïa, is stepping down from his role after five years at the helm of the house’s creative vision. The French fashion house officially announced the news in late January 2026.
To understand the scope of this chapter, it is enough to look at three collections that became the structural pillars of Mulier’s time at Alaïa.
Alaïa Fall–Winter 2021. The Beginning of Continuity.
Mulier’s debut collection for the house was not a reboot, but a gesture of trust toward the archives. Fall–Winter 2021 reintroduced Alaïa’s essential codes: the second-skin silhouette, sculptural tailoring, and an understanding of the body as spatial architecture.
It was a collection about continuity. From the outset, Mulier made it clear that he would not rewrite the house’s history, but carefully extend it. Here, his approach took shape - minimal decoration, maximum construction, and an uncompromising logic of the body.
Alaïa Spring–Summer 2023. Body in Motion.
Spring–Summer 2023 became one of Mulier’s most recognizable collections for Alaïa. Built around movement, transparency, and mesh materials, the garments enveloped the body without restricting it.
This collection solidified a new Alaïa femininity - sensual yet restrained. It marked the brand’s full return to the global fashion conversation, bringing with it iconic mesh ballet flats, renewed red-carpet presence, and a surge of interest from stylists worldwide.
Alaïa Fall 2024. Architecture of Confidence.
Fall 2024 represented the culmination of Mulier’s era at Alaïa. The collection introduced greater volume, dramatic forms, and architectural strength - suggesting a house no longer looking back, but speaking with clarity and confidence.
This was Alaïa no longer in dialogue with its past, but fully in command of its present. The collection reaffirmed the house’s status as one of the few remaining brands where form and the body remain the central values, rather than trends.
Mulier continues to work on his final collection - Summer–Fall 2026, which will be presented during Paris Fashion Week in March. Following this show, he will officially conclude his role at Maison Alaïa.
Under Mulier’s leadership, Alaïa underwent a period of both creative and commercial transformation. He became the house’s first creative director following the death of its founder, Azzedine Alaïa, in 2017. Mulier succeeded in merging the couturier’s rich legacy with contemporary forms and a new generation of clients, without compromising the brand’s unmistakable identity.
During his tenure, he refined the silhouettes, expanded the accessories offering, and emphasized the artisanal craftsmanship of Maison Alaïa. Several of his designs - including the mesh ballet flats and the Le Teckel bag - became global objects of desire.
In an official statement, CEO Myriam Serrano thanked Mulier for his contribution to the house’s creative evolution: “We sincerely thank Pieter for his vision and dedication, and for writing an important chapter in the history of the Maison.”
The name of his successor has not yet been announced. In the meantime, the brand’s internal team will oversee the creative direction until a new appointment is made.
Mulier himself has not made any official statements regarding his next move. However, the fashion industry is actively speculating about a possible transition to Versace, following Dario Vitale’s departure from the Italian house - a theory further fueled by Versace’s recent integration into the Prada Group, a creative ecosystem closely aligned with Mulier’s sensibility.
