In terms of archival advocates, Keke Palmer is right up there with Bella Hadid, Ariana Grande, and Zendaya. Her deep-cut vintage pulls sometimes require a PhD in fashion history to immediately recognize—but February 2, that changed with the addition of a sheer, 35-year-old one-piece from Alaïa.
Once photos of Palmer's red carpet look at a 92NY event surfaced online, Marie Claire editors immediately wondered, Where have I seen this before? Eventually, it clicked: Stylist Molly Dickson had dressed Palmer in Alaïa Fall 1991. To be more specific, she tracked down the long-sleeve look once modeled by Naomi Campbell.
Over half of the bodysuit appeared to be sheer, including the lace foundation, which Azzedine Alaïa molded into leopard-print spots. The only opaque elements? Her mock-neck collar, plus velvet, paw-shaped panels strategically placed atop her bust. Apart from the leopard-print lace underlay, the anti-cutouts stopped beneath Palmer's arms, opening up her bodysuit's back. TheRealReal's current $8,500 listing revealed the velvet returned along its underwear portion, which Palmer tucked into a major pant trend: capris.
When Campbell debuted the Alaïa look all those years ago, the supermodel did so in coordinating leggings, making it a catsuit. Palmer, on the other hand, modernized it to today's It-girl standards with winterized capri pants. The Nope actor's black belted pair was skintight—similar to Bella Hadid's capris two weeks ago—except they stretched well beyond her knees. Pointy black pumps resumed Palmer's singular color story, before mixed-metal hoop earrings added some much-welcome shine.
Feeling déjà vu? Well, that's because Alaïa's velvet-and-leopard motif earned a spot in Kylie Jenner's closet, too. In January 2025, the Kylie Cosmetics founder arrived at Paris Fashion Week wearing the mini dress version of Palmer's one-piece, except the thong-like bottom became a velvet mini skirt. Every other element, however, looked just as mob wife-coded. In fact, Jenner's stylists Mackenzie and Alexandra Grandquist even popped on a similar pair of patent Alaïa pumps.
The Alaïa bodysuit's place within Kardashian-Jenner history spans even further in the family: Kim Kardashian wore the leopard-and-velvet, circa-Fall 1991 catsuit back in 2019, also during Paris Fashion Week.
All in all, Campbell, Kardashian, Jenner, and Palmer are proof Azzedine Alaïa's designs continue to stand the test of time.
