Photo Credit: Giovanni Giannoni/WWD
Alber Elbaz, the Israeli-American designer who revived Lanvin as its former creative director between 2001 and 2015, passed away on Saturday 24 April in Paris at the age of 59.
The death of the designer was confirmed by Richemont, the Swiss luxury group and holding company of the AZ Factory. Which was one of the projects that the late designer had started a few months ago, following his break from the catwalk scene.
“It is with shock and immense sadness that I learned of Alber’s sudden death,” said the company’s president, Johann Rupert in a statement released by WWD . “Alber had a well-deserved reputation in person as one of the brightest and most highly regarded in the industry. I have always been drawn to his intelligence, sensitivity, generosity and unbridled creativity. He was a man of exceptional warmth and talent and his particular vision, his sense of beauty and his empathy leave an indelible mark ”.
The causes of death are still unknown, but according to the Israeli newspaper Hareets, these could be related to the deteriorating consequences of Covid-19.
Alber Elbaz started his career in New York in 1985 by the hand of Geoffrey Beene after graduating from Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Tel Aviv. The designer known for his singular vision of fashion then continued his path in France, in 1996, where he first designed for Guy Laroche and was later recruited by Pierre Bergé for Yves Saint Laurent’s Rive Gauche label. After two successful years at the care of YSL’s women’s ready-to-wear he left the maison, leaving it at the hand of Tom Ford, and took over the creative reins of Lanvin. He remained as the artistic director of Lanvin for over fourteen years, reinventing and maybe even revolutionising the oldest French Maison (founded in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin) with his innovative and sophisticated touch.
In honour of his role for the world of fashion, and his renowned collection that influenced the popular perception of the French elegance we decided to have a look at his timeless designs throughout the years. Designs that were always created with women as the essence;
“I’m not here to create a look” – he once said in an interview – “but to follow the needs of women. This is my design idea”.
Words By Chiara Ferrari
