Remembering Azzedine Alaïa on the fifth anniversary of his passing. After launching @maisonalaia in the early 1980s, the elusive Tunisian designer built a fiercely loyal following by celebrating the female form. His body-conscious designs endowed women with an audacious sense of confidence and earned him the nickname the “King of Cling.” A revered figure in the haughty salons of haute couture, he was equally adored by celebrities like @gracejonesofficial, @ladygaga, and @naomi who lovingly called him “Papa.” While most fashion designers are part-time showmen; Alaïa was a full-time artist who let his work do all the showing. He famously bucked the traditional fashion system, forgoing regular shows in favor of moving at his own pace. And though he stood at just over five feet, wearing his uniform of black pajamas (as seen here), the master couturier wielded a larger-than-life influence over a generation of designers including Nicolas Ghesquière and @pieter_mulier who as Alaïa’s current creative director is ushering the maison into a new era. At the link in bio, revisit Alaïa’s greatest hits as seen in W and see how Mulier is honoring the house founder’s legacy. - #Alaïa photographed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino; W magazine September 2012 (originally 1995).