#geoffrey beene
Mr Alber Elbaz (June 12, 1961 - April 24, 2021)
Mr Alber Elbaz, the fashion designer whose ‘powerfully pretty’ style rejuvenated the fortunes of Lanvin, has died. The cause was COVID-19.
Mr Elbaz was born in Casablanca, but the family moved to Israel when the boy was ten. After a stint in the the Israel Defense Force and a course at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Ramat Gan, his mother gave Elbaz $800 to go to New York to pursue a fashion career.
His first job, in 1985, was at a bridal outfitters before Geoffrey Beene made him his assistant. Moving to Paris in 1996 Elbaz then worked for the French house of Guy Laroche until 1998 when he was appointed creative director of Yves Saint Laurent. After Gucci bought the company and fired him two years later, Elbaz joined Lanvin, his accessible style garnering a 60 percent rise in revenue from 2005 to 2007.
Alber transformed the house, one of oldest in Paris, into an international brand, shifting focus from menswear to womenswear. Over the following fourteen years until his departure in 2015, Elbaz championed simple elegance balanced with an exuberant use of colour.
In 2016 France awarded him the Légion d’Honneur.
Earlier this year he launched his own label, the size-inclusive AZ Factory, with lines that include ‘engineered knitwear that shapes your silhouette’.
You sought ‘happy moments’ in fashion and you gave us Joy.
You made us dream, you made us think, and now you fly.
Love, trust and respect, always.
❤️ Alber, we love you forever
Image Courtesy AZ Factory
Post link
