PARIS • Alber Elbaz, the fashion designer whose playful designs transformed the storied French house Lanvin into an industry darling before his shock ouster in 2015, has died aged 59 after a battle with Covid-19, the Richemont luxury group said on Sunday.
"It was with shock and enormous sadness that I heard of Alber's sudden passing," Richemont chairman Johann Rupert said in a statement.
The veteran fashion journalist Suzy Menkes, citing Mr Rupert in an Instagram post, said Elbaz "has left this world after a three-week struggle with Covid".
Elbaz, an Israeli born in Morocco, restored the lustre to Lanvin during his 14 years at the helm of France's oldest couture brand, giving classic tailoring a more playful edge.
Hollywood stars including Cate Blanchett and Sienna Miller were devotees, in particular of his svelte black cocktail dresses, and the house flourished financially during his tenure.
"Women are more independent, more daring," Elbaz told L'Express magazine in 2008. "A dress has to accompany them. They want to move with it, live with it. Movement is essential for me - it's life."
Instantly recognisable with his oversized round glasses and his penchant for bow ties, Elbaz also earned fans with an affable and ebullient demeanour that set him apart in an industry known for prickly personalities.
After beginning his career with the American designer Geoffrey Beene in New York, he took over at Guy Laroche in 1996 before joining Yves Saint Laurent in 1998 to design ready-to-wear collections for the French master.
In 2001, he was hired by Lanvin shortly after its acquisition by a group of investors led by Taiwanese billionaire Wang Shaw-lan.
Under Elbaz's guidance, the storied brand refound its lost glamour and the designer himself became one of the fashion world's most respected figures.
He was also attuned to the lower ends of the market, collaborating with the Swedish fast-fashion giant H&M in 2010 for a hugely popular capsule collection.
"He was one of the most creative, funniest men in fashion and a true pioneer in the industry," Mr Edward Enninful, editor-in-chief of British Vogue, said on Instagram. "He was also one of the most talented designers I've ever worked with, even though he always preferred to call himself 'a dressmaker'."
So it was all the more shocking when Elbaz was unceremoniously fired as Lanvin's creative director in October 2015, reportedly after a clash with Ms Wang.
He never joined another fashion house afterwards, but formed a series of partnerships, including with the Swiss-based conglomerate Richemont in 2019.
"Alber had a richly deserved reputation as one of the industry's brightest and most beloved figures," Mr Rupert said.
"His inclusive vision of fashion made women feel beautiful and comfortable by blending traditional craftsmanship with technology - highly innovative projects which sought to redefine the industry."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
