Forrest Gump says that life is like a box of chocolates. For Alber Elbaz, though, life is the whole freaking food pyramid. Throughout his career, the former creative director of Lanvin has made numerous wise quips about food in relation to fashion and, really, just life in general. In an industry where canapés are mostly left untouched at parties, Elbaz’s love for food – chicken and pizza, yeeeeeeeeaaaahhh – and talking about food makes him relatable.

No one’s really sure what the future holds for the lovable designer – could he really be heading to Dior? – but we hope to see him back in action very soon with more pretty little dresses and wise words in his back pocket to gift to the world. In honour of his 55th birthday, we’ve compiled some of Elbaz’s best food-related quotes in the gallery above. They’re simple and straightforward, but there’s plenty to learn from them. Happy birthday, Alber!