I never heard Arthur speak a word of French nor Azzedine a word of English, but somehow they managed to figure each other out! They had an understanding and a trust between them, a kind of second sense.
Arthur has an ease and freedom in his pictures; they are seldom still. And Azzedine’s clothes, although perfect in every stitch, are made to move. So over the years they were a wildly funny and creative couple.
It wasn’t exactly a time of celebrity like now, but Azzedine had his favorites—Naomi (whose entire family he dressed), Linda Spierings, Veronica Webb, Grace Jones, Stephanie Seymour, and Tina Turner (though Tina was really Peter Lindbergh’s domain).
They had an understanding and a trust between them, a kind of second sense.
Azzedine’s relationships with photographers were legendary. They became part of his large extended family, who gathered many an evening to eat a delicious dinner that he personally prepared.
Sitting around his long kitchen table were a crazy mix of people. You might find Julian Schnabel next to Kim Kardashian or Lady Gaga, Rei Kawakubo or Nicolas Ghesquière with Lindbergh or Paolo Roversi, Sarah Moon and Gilles Bensimon or Carlyne Cerf, and figures from the political world. Some stayed for just a glass of wine, some for the whole long and noisy meal.
Sophie Hicks and Joe McKenna were an important part of his family, often coming to Paris for weeks at a time to help build his collection through all its twists and turns. They shared his exacting schedule, working through the night until each single dress had passed his critical eye. Many times, he would rip it apart if it didn’t measure up and would start all over!
All the while he liked to have an audience at his atelier. Fashion editors and journalists and other assorted fashionistas would visit while he worked. Until, one by one, they peeled off back to their hotels, exhausted, leaving him alone except for his muse, Carla Sozzani, and his beloved cats, Lola and Olmo.
Arthur’s time with Azzedine was spent mostly in Paris. He would stay on after all the other collections had finished. Azzedine liked to show a week or 10 days later (much to the annoyance of all the journalists). But he just didn’t care, and it didn’t bother Arthur either; it just gave them more time to play around and shoot pictures with a completely free hand.
Everyone joined in, even Arthur’s wife, Grethe, who was once a dancer, had a fabulous body, and moved like a dream. Arthur’s pictures are always full of life and joy, and although Azzedine always appeared very serious, he actually had a wicked sense of humor. A match made in heaven!
Grace Coddington is a former model and creative director at large at Vogue
