@alexanderfury

God, four years. I never want to overestimate my relationship with Azzedine Alaïa, nor to compare it to the memories of people who knew and cherished him for decades. But for me, being able to sit at the table and spend time with someone whose work I’d loved since I was a (weird) kid was incredible, life-changing really. The humanity of Azzedine was what I loved. And although I only knew him a short while - he once mimed his three year education at the Tunis École des Beaux-Arts to me by grabbing the air between his thumb and forefinger, so we had a similar pinch of time together - he was the kind of person who forges memories that you never ever forget. It’s funny how sometimes they bubble up, unexpectedly, like him creeping up to play a trick on you. I remember he once sang ‘Big Spender’ to me, hysterically funny. I remember the jaw-dropping experience of him fitting a coat, on me, tender and extraordinarily skilled. I remember his warmth and generosity, sitting at his table and talking about fashion with me, me not really believing it was happening because he was Alaïa. But he was also Azzedine, and he was my friend and I loved him. And I’ll always remember.