@alexanderfury

John Galliano for Christian Dior Spring 1997 haute couture, worn by Eva Herzigova. 50th anniversary of the New Look, and Galliano’s debut. Mitzah-lilac silk chiffon bias-cut evening gown with corsage and single pearl shoulder strap. Probably ordered in 1998, hence the label. My teenaged self would be crying over this. Not that I’m not crying rn. I remember watching this on breakfast television. Obviously never dreamed it could ever be mine.

Subtle branding. Dior Oblique Monogram skirt, Saddle bag, cropped jacket, trench-coat and ‘CD’ hardware denim belt, by John Galliano for Christian Dior, S/S-A/W 2000. ‘Logo-a-gogo’ and ‘Fly Girls’ collections.

We realised that maverick, as a word, had never appeared on the cover of @anothermagazine - although it seemed an oft-used descriptor for the figures we feature, and the ideology we echo. People we’ve dubbed maverick in the past include the filmmakers Derek Jarman and Jonas Mekas, artists Urs Fischer and Jake and Dinos Chapman, the actor Tilda Swinton, theatre director Olivier Py, the fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen, and the indefinable powerhouse that is Michèle Lamy. So we devised the spring/summer issue entirely around the ethos of rule-breakers, game-changers and free spirits. Obviously, @maisonalaia is the most maverick fashion house today, so they got a cover. So did maverick actors and great fashion talent. Inside, the incredible profile of Elmgreen & Dragset, intensively interviewed by @hansulrichobrist and eruditely introduced by @sophie_bew, is another personal highlight, ahead of their @fondazioneprada show opening this week. A salute to everyone involved - I’m sorry if i forgot anyone, it wasn’t pointed - and an especially thanks to the female phenomenon that is @susannahfrankel for letting me pontificate on Prouvé for several thousand words and be a small part of your vision.

A belting Alaïa show. And I truly missed my calling as a tabloid headline writer. Bravo @pieter_mulier @maisonalaia 💘

Twins.

General mood, Christmas 2021.

My out of office from tomorrow.

Installation of a bunch of my Vivienne Westwood archive pieces at the Conduit Street store last night, alongside new designs by Andreas Kronthaler, to frame a discussion around ‘Vivienne Westwood Catwalk’ with T&H’s Adelia Sabatini. In order: armour jacket and tie, ‘Time Machine’, AW88; ‘Boucher’ corset, ‘Portrait’, AW90; corset and bustle, ‘Vive La Cocotte’, AW95; Dietrich-print denim, ‘Always On Camera’, AW92; breeches and justaucorps, ‘Vive La Cocotte’, AW95. They’re shown with the ‘Gigi’ corset and ‘Tyrol’ cardigan by Andreas. Clever juxtapositions courtesy of @dolce_cioffo

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.

Can second-hand make fashion more democratic? Yesterday I spoke with vintage affiliated @baygarnett and @louispisano on the @vestiaireco Instagram as part of their #collectiveforchange programme - on the egalitarian nature of thrifting online and off, vintage Gaultier, charity shops, obsessive purchasing and a very democratically-priced Chanel spring 1991 scuba suit. Which kind of answers the opening question. Our fabulous, rambling full convo is now on the @vestiaireco Instagram, but here are a few highlights. And, of course, that great jacket.

Accidental Grace Jones in ‘A View To A Kill’ cosplay is, honestly, a daily possibility with me.

#SundaySamantha. Current mood.