The King of Cling: The World Remembers Tunisian Designer Azzedine Alaia
The world has been mourning over the loss of one of its great talents. The gifted Tunisian fashion designer, Azzedine Alaia, passed away last night, 18th of November, in Paris at the age of 77.
The legendary man, who was also known as The King of Cling, had devotees all over the world, from royals to celebrities — and they’ve been reminiscing their fondest memories with him on Instagram, and it is honestly getting to us so emotional.
“Alaia was a visionary, and a remarkable man. But most importantly, he will be deeply missed by all of those who knew him, as well as by the women around the world who wore his clothes,” Edward Enninful, the Editor of Vogue, said.
The Tunisian designer was born in 1940, where came from a very simple farmer background. His twin sisters were his inspiration to the world of fashion. Entering the fashion scene wasn’t an easy feat for Alaia — he had to lie about his age to get himself into the local École des Beaux-Arts in Tunis.
In 1980, he produced his first ready-to-wear collection, and four years later he was voted the Best Designer of the Year and the Best Collection of the Year at the Oscars de la Mode.
Devotees included both fashion-inclined celebrities and fashionistas such as Grace Jones, Tina Turner, Raquel Welch, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Brigitte Nielsen, Naomi Campbell, Shakira and Carla Sozzani and much more.
And of course, let us not forget the First Lady of France, Carla Bruni who wore him in 2009 in Spain and his regular client, Michelle Obama.
His death came as a shock to the world of fashion, and the world of art. He was always a humble man who did not care for publicity, but only his work and his loved ones.
