Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

The 11 Most Influential Fashion Friendships

The 11 Most Influential Fashion Friendships

From Azzedine Alaïa and Naomi Campbell to Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow, check out this list of the most powerful fashion-friend duos.

International friendship day is typically recognized on the first of August, but there’s never a bad time to celebrate friendship. Especially when that friendship is between fashion icons like Naomi Campbell and Azzedine Alaïa, or Bella Hadid and Virgil Abloh. B.F.F.F.Fs or “Best-Famous-Fashion-Friends-Forever,” are fascinating to those entrenched in fashion history, and average consumers of pop culture. Partly because seeing idols act human is like seeing a teacher in the grocery store, and partly because the history of these relationships usually provides insight into one of the parties' journey to success.

Take fashion journalist and designer duo Isabella Blow and Lee Alexander McQueen for example. Blow was a deeply close personal friend of McQueen’s, but also one of the Scottish designer’s earliest professional supporters within the industry. In fact, Blow was the one to suggest that Lee use his middle, arguably more regal name “Alexander,” for his namesake label, rather than his actual first name, Lee. The English fashion magazine editor and muse of hat designer Phillip Treacy discovered McQueen as a graduate student at Central Saint Martins and helped his clothes circulate from a single student rack to stores across the globe.

McQueen also played a role in cementing Blow’s fashion legacy. His Spring/Summer 2008 collection was designed in tribute to her unexpected passing. The 55-look runway of nipped waistlines, molded hips, and fantastic headdresses (one red butterfly piece especially comes to mind) reflected Blow’s lush style and genuine love of fashion. And even in death, Blow’s inspiration served as a propellant for McQueen’s career, because this collection ultimately saved him from demise after a prior off-season. As a result, neither the glorious assembly, nor McQueen, nor Blow, or the pair’s friendship shall ever be forgotten.

Their story is just one of many though which is good news if you’re craving more friends of fashion tales. Even better news is that here, L’OFFICIEL rounds up the most influential B.F.F.F.F duos.

Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent




Before starting his own Maison, Saint Laurent took his talents to the House of Dior where the designer hired him on the spot. After Dior's death, their mentorship led Saint Laurent to be named head designer of the brand.

Jean Paul Gaultier and Madonna




Gaultier has been one of Madonna's long-favored designers, creating some of her most iconic pieces including the cone bra from her Blonde Ambition tour.

Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow




Blow paid more than £5,000 for McQueen's entire graduate collection from his final year at Central Saint Martins. She subsequently used her style and influence in the fashion industry to help the designer launch his career.

Naomi Campbell and Azzedine Alaïa




One of the most iconic fashion friendships is that of Campbell and Azzedine. The designer discovered the young model when she was just 16. As his muse, her career skyrocketed. They remained close until his death in 2018.

Marc Jacobs and Victoria Beckham




While Jacobs was still at the helm of Louis Vuitton, he saw the former Spice Girl carrying a fake tote from the brand and sent her a real one. Beckham later modeled for Jacobs' name brand, beginning a long friendship between the two designers.

Pharrel and Nigo




In 2005, the pair teamed up to launch their brands Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream footwear.

Olivier Rousteing and Rihanna




The young designer is known for his many celebrity friendships, but none so longstanding and iconic as his one with Rihanna. In 2013, the two began collaborating on a number of projects and ensembles. Rousteing even once said he admired her because of her ability to mix men's and women's fashion.

Kanye West and Jon Wexler




Under Wexler's direction of Adidas, West's own brand Yeezy became one of the most popular brands. The two creative minds have cultivated a great partnership over the years. Before Wexler's departure from the brand in late 2020, West honored his friend while accepting the Shoe of the Year award, saying, "This guy understood culture from Chicago, J Dilla, listened to all the albums." He continued, “If you guys want somebody to work with your company, find someone who knows about the person they’re talking to, a guy who’s got some real backstory."

Franca Sozzani and Gianni Versace




As the Editor-in-Chief for Vogue Italia, Sozzani was well-versed in the top names of the fashion industry. During her time at the head of the magazine, she was an avid supporter of Versace and his work, which led to a long friendship between the two.

Jeremy Scott and Miley Cyrus




During her more eccentric wardrobe era, Scott was the perfect designer for Cyrus to align herself with. As Moschino's Creative Director, Scott created several of the singer's most memorable looks. The two even collaborated on a jewelry line in 2015.

Bella Hadid and Virgil Abloh




As a champion of youth culture, Alboh's relationship with Hadid comes as no surprise. From the early years of her career, the pair have worked closely together, showcasing a myriad of breathtaking looks down the runway.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×