Naomi Campbell was photographed breaking down in tears during designer Azzedine Alaia’s funeral on Monday (20Nov17).
The French–Tunisian fashion designer passed away in Paris, France on Saturday (18Nov17) at the age of 82 after suffering a heart attack.
Naomi reportedly accompanied Alaia’s remains from France to Tunisia, where he was laid to rest at the Sidi Bou Said cemetery in Tunis. Campbell was seen leaving the late designer’s home to attend his funeral and at the memorial she was photographed looking visibly upset.
Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, Culture Minister Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Tunisian–Italian model Afef Jnifen, and many others also attended the memorial.
Campbell and Alaia were always very close ever since the British model first met the designer when she was starting out at the age of 16. She often stayed at Azzedine’s home when modelling at shows in Paris.
Describing her relationship with Azzedine in an interview with British newspaper The Independent, Campbell said, “He really taught me everything about the business, and also taught me even more important things about life – to be yourself, to do things with integrity and to do things from the heart.”
Following the news of his passing, many celebrities, including Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, Zoe Saldana, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, and Katie Holmes took to social media to pay tribute to Alaia, and Lady Gaga added her own emotional tribute on Instagram on Sunday.
“I’ll mourn forever the loss of my friend. A true genius in not only fashion but in his heart,” she wrote. “He was a king and had the highest standards of design and work ethic. He was so giving, so loving, his heart so full and pure.”
