This dress is made of blue denim. There are many earlier examples of denim dresses, including those made by Claire McCardell and others in the 1940s, but this look demonstrates the potential of denim as a material that can overturn its casual image, as well as an approach that explores a new aesthetic. Azzedine Alaïa was a leading designer in the body conscious fashion of the 1980s. The distinctive, curvy cut and use of zippers, inspired by moto jackets, achieved with the hard material of denim expresses the “power dressing” forms of the time, with broad shoulders, lines emphasizing the shapeliness of the chest and hips, and a miniskirt.