Their Hearts Belonged to Papa: 12 Models Share Their Memories of Azzedine Alaïa
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Photo: Condé Nast Archive1/30Naomi Campbell
“Looking back at all these pictures brings tears to my eyes. Such great times. We would all fly back for Papa’s shows [the designer presented on his own schedule] because we all wanted to. We wanted to work for a genius and be part of his unique cuts and patterns.”
Photo: Condé Nast Archive2/30Naomi Campbell
“This photo was from the Sweet Charity show, which was inspired by the movie with Shirley MacLaine. I remember that day very well as I had a high temperature and flu. There was a ballet barre at the back of the runway and we were all meant to pose on it, just like in the opening of the film. The [carved] heels of the shoes were of my legs and derriere, and of course were not the easiest to walk in. Even Yasmeen Ghauri, the best walker, fell. And then everyone else did too! We would learn fast: Papa was furious at me. He said that I was not giving it my best. (This was the first of three shows.) Of course, he was right. Papa taught me to put mind over matter and helped me to get it together for the second and third show. Persevere—the show must go on!”
Photo: Condé Nast Archive3/30Farida Khelfa
“I met Azzedine in the early ’80s. I was with Jean-Paul Goude at this time, and we went to see him to dress me for a perfume ad. [We chose a dress of Scotch tartan.] The thing that’s funny is that it was very different from what Azzedine became known for. At this time he was exploring every area in the fashion, every direction. Azzedine adored Madame Vionnet. He knew fashion perfectly. Of course he loved Balenciaga; for him Balenciaga was the master. He was doing a lot of things before he started to concentrate on knits and leather and things like that. It was very interesting to meet him at this time, and when we met it was really a match: He came from Tunisia, my parents came from Algeria, so we had a direct connection. We were probably the only Arabs in the fashion industry in Paris.”
Photo: Condé Nast Archive4/30Farida Khelfa
”Azzedine loved women, and women loved him. (He always said, ‘I couldn’t dress men, it’s not my interest.’ He found his uniform and he never changed.) We loved to stay with him, listening to Oum Kalthoum while doing fittings all night long, and staying at his place having fun, eating. We had intimacy with him. He was very funny, very caring. He was very taking care of his friends. You could call him at 4:00 a.m. and he would answer and ask you to come over and sleep over, he was that kind of a person. You don’t have too many friends like that, so [his death] is a huge loss for me.”
Photo: Condé Nast Archive5/30Farida Khelfa
“An area of fashion disappeared with Azzedine. He was a real couturier: He was doing the patterns, doing the fittings, doing the sewing himself. He was the real orthopedist in the couture. He could totally change your body, it was amazing. And he could see beauty everywhere. You don’t have to be skinny or to be tall, or to be whatever—anybody could wear an Alaïa. At the beginning of Azzedine, most of the time it was the men who came to Alaïa to buy clothes for their wives, and [the tradition] continues. Recently I saw a man in the boutique dressing his wife and I was like, ‘Oh, if Azzedine could see that he would be so happy.’ ”
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