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The fashion community is in mourning today after the death of fashion designer and “King of Cling,” Azzedine Alaïa. WWD reported that Alaïa, 77, passed away while in Paris, due to heart failure. His friend, Carla Sozzani told WWD that he died “peacefully and without suffering.”
The Tunisian-born designer rose to fame for his structured and body-con looks. Alaïa worked at his own pace and is known for showing no mercy for industry timetables. He gained notoriety in the eighties with his highly successful evening dresses and sculpted leathers.
Alaïa was highly respected by many of his fashion peers including Miuccia Prada, Giorgio Armani, Alber Elbaz, Donatella Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, Rick Owens, among many others. Armani spoke of Alaïa calling him “a designer of great talent, who worked on the shapes and proportions of the body as a sculptor, exalting a sensuous and almost timeless beauty. He greatly influenced fashion without ever having been part of the system or complying with seasonal trends. He was an individual voice, who followed his own aesthetic course in total freedom and for this was much loved and admired.”
His rich inner circle of friends posted to social media to share their condolences and remember his legacy including Lady Gaga, Victoria Beckham, Madonna, Miley Cyrus and Rihanna.
Victoria Beckham posted to Twitter and Instagram saying "A sad day. Rest in peace @azzedinealaiaofficial...The world is a far less beautiful place without you. You were a true master and one of my biggest inspirations" followed by a praying hands emoji and xVB
Kim Kardashian-West posted to Instagram a photo of her being fitted by Alaïa with the caption “Simply the best! No one like you! It was an honor to know you. You will be missed so greatly! Rest In Peace Mr. Alaïa
Lady Gaga took to Instagram to post three photos of her and the designer, the first image shows the pair in his kitchen with a plate of food with no caption. The second post shows Alaïa adding a hairpiece to Gaga’s hair with the caption “With angels in his eyes, fitting me with one of his beautiful hair pieces."
The third photo of the pair is captioned with a tearful, but heartfelt message: "I’ll mourn forever the loss of my friend. A true genius in not only fashion but in his heart. He was a king and had the highest standards of design and work ethic. He was so giving, so loving, his heart so full and pure. I’d watch in awe as he hand made each and every piece, his fingers touching the fabric like poetry. Then he would want to feed us all, and cook with his own hands and talk for hours at the table while his dogs would run around joyfully smelling the delicious food he made us. To say he was special would be an understatement. To say he was integral, important and influential to fashion is simply not enough. There was no one who did what he did. No one knew a woman’s body like him. He should be celebrated as one of the greatest fashion designers the world has ever known. I love you Azzedine. I’m devastated I didn’t get to say goodbye. I love you."
Richemont has declined to discuss its future plans for the fashion house that bears his name, but the designer was set to open his first ever London flagship, a 6,000 square foot store on Bond Street. Unbeknownst, this July was his final show, opened by one of his closest allies, supermodel Naomi Campbell who affectionately called him “Papa.”
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