Alaïa was revered for his independence and passion for discreet luxury and refutation of the marketing-driven logic of luxury conglomerates. Catherine Lardeur, former editor-in-chief of France's Marie Claire in the 1980s, said that "Alaïa remains the king. He only shows when he has something to show, in his own time." His cutting skills and idiosyncratic interpretations of classic silhouettes have made Alaïa popular for decades. His projects remain the aspiration of many. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned." ? Get an original essay Born in Tunisia on February 26, 1940 to wheat farmers, Alaia inspired his love of couture from his twin sister, quickly becoming a devotee of Vogue Lying about his age, where he enrolled at the École des Beaux- Arts local begins studying sculpture. Alaïa began working as a seamstress assistant after graduating and in 1957 moved to Paris to work in fashion design. In Paris he began his career at Christian Dior as a tailor but was fired and soon moved on to work for Guy Laroche for two seasons and then for Thierry Mugler. At the end of the 1970s he opened his first atelier in his small apartment on rue de Bellechasse. He privately dresses clients from Marie-Hélène de Rothschild to Louise de Vilmorin to Greta Garbo. In 1980, he produced his first ready-to-wear collection and was voted best designer of the year and best collection of the year at the Oscars de la Mode in 1984. Doyennes of fashion, Melka Tréanton of Depeche Mode and Nicole Crassat of French Elle, a supporter of the collection, who regularly featured her work in their respective magazines, skyrocketed the brand. His clothes were a huge success and he was nicknamed "The King of Clinging" by the media. Devotees included both fashionably inclined celebrities and fashionistas. Victoria Beckham has stated that Alaïa is her favorite designer and wore the designer's work to two Academy Award parties in 2007. Michelle Obama is also a regular customer of Alaïa. She wore a sleeveless dress with a skirt designed by Alaïa to the NATO dinner and also to the American Ballet Theatre's opening night spring gala in 2009. Keep in mind: this is just one example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get Custom Essay During the mid-1990s, Alaïa virtually disappeared from the fashion scene for personal reasons. However, he continued to satisfy a private clientele and achieved commercial success with his ready-to-wear lines. His death brought great pain and bitterness to the industry. “Azzedine Alaïa was a true visionary and an extraordinary man,” Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful said this morning. “He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him, as well as by the women around the world who wore his clothes,”.