At the 2006 Met Costume Institute Gala, Sarah Jessica Parker—who arrived with design genius Alexander McQueen, both wearing matching tartans—could never have alleged the sudden suicide of her friend in fashion, just four years later in February 2010.

Nor could she have assumed that she would be the bearer of a posthumous Special Tribute Award, to be presented to McQueen at the Council of Fashion Designers America (CFDA) Awards on June 7, 2010.

At the time of McQueen’s death, SJP called the designer’s work jaw-dropping, and it surely was. Whether you loved or hated Sarah Jessica’s chartreuse strapless frock and blossoming couture cap at the Sex and the City premiere in 2008, one must confess that the look was original and fantastically creative.

Not just anyone could wear that outfit, but that’s the beauty of such a sartorial relationship: Maestro and muse share a single vision.