Arlesian

Given the main characters' professions, it's not surprising that there was a lot of designer name-dropping. But Christian Lacroix, who brought color, excess, humor, and the pouf to fashion, stood apart. Eddy i-d-o-l-i-z-e-d the Arlesian designer. "I like them if they're Lacroix," she once declared; she also made "Lacroix, sweety" her unforgettable chant.

With few exceptions, such as the Roulin family, he was treated with suspicion. The Arlesians considered him to be a pervert, and children ridiculed him for his odd appearance and disconcerting habit of hanging around brothels in the evenings.