Alber Elbaz - Designer

[VersaceVixen009]

If Olivier R is going to Lanvin, we are all doomed. But he seems to be enjoying the Balmain fame and branding, so I doubt he'll go.

 

[Benn98]

was this posted?

Wow, so impressed with the solidarity here! It's quite uncommon, especially in the fashion industry. This whole situation doesnt look like it will end well. I personally wish that he will not go back. Time for a change.

 

[Fashionstuff]

If Olivier R is going to Lanvin, we are all doomed. But he seems to be enjoying the Balmain fame and branding, so I doubt he'll go.

Sincerely, i doubt too , Change Balmain to Lanvin there is no sense.
Olivier R in Dior, that can be funny.

Jason Wu in Lanvin? There were some rumors in 2012 .

 

[squilliam]

^Why do so many people and fashion insiders think that designers like Jason Wu and Alexander Wang are so great that they should be at this Parisian fashion houses? Personally I think they're nowhere near that level

 

[Pricciao]

Because Lanvin head wanted to hire a Taiwanese designer, Jason Wu came from that background.

 

[perhydrol]

But Jason Wu has been at Hugo Boss and he's got his own line so it's impossible to hire him at Lanvin. Really, it's not gonna happen.

 

[vetements]

Because Lanvin head wanted to hire a Taiwanese designer, Jason Wu came from that background.

How laughable and myopic is that. Just because she herself came from that background she wants someone with the same background to head a Parisian house with heritage? What happened to her business sense, if she even has any? This just makes me dislike this woman even more, when initially I actually thought she probably had her own perspective for sacking Alber.

God bless Lanvin.

 

[GivenchyHomme]

Lanvin is done. Even if they do find a replacement, they'll never be as successful as Alber.

 

[Pricciao]

^^"Family first" or blood-related acceptance is important to that generation, about 80% local businesses are family held here. She's just having a quite common mindset. I wouldn't blame that too much. But I guess it was considered far fetched after all so the appointment didn't become a thing.

Jason did bear that anticipation and hype to match the qualification in 2012 though, because of the Michelle Obama dress and Anna Wintour's push.

 

[Benn98]

How laughable and myopic is that. Just because she herself came from that background she wants someone with the same background to head a Parisian house with heritage? What happened to her business sense, if she even has any?

It seems people still have not learned from the Wang/Balenciaga debacle. Wasnt Wang appointed based on his ethnicity and the promise of increased sales there? Funnily enough Balenciaga already had a degree of presence in China prior to his appointment. In fact under Nicolas, the house was one of the first to seek out a top Chinese celebrity (Maggie Cheung) to translate their values to a Chinese audience. Wang did manage to create a spike in sales, but that was only because he re-introduced the label with capsule collections and dressing as many mainstream people as possible. The latter ultimately diluted the very essence and mystique of the house, my opinion. Any designer couldve devised such a plan, the success was never specific to his race. And if anything, I think Alexander Wang, the brand, gained more from his tenure at Balenciaga than Balenciaga themselves. With Lanvin it's a different story. Their first entry was into the market was in 2011, I think. And by then Chanel, Gucci etc was already established there. Lanvin's biggest inducement was probably the H&M collab, but Alber almost insisted on following a more understated approach to China, and not throw clothes at them like many did at the time, *cough* Gucci *cough*. Also, Lanvin had no de facto spokesperson in China, so there was never a hypervisible celebrity which one could associate with the brand. This is a very important angle for the mass market over there. Chanel's got Zhou Xun, Dior's got Li Bingbing, Armani's got Zhang Ziyi and LV's got both Maggie Cheung and Fan Bingbing. So probably Wang (Lanvin) resents the weak foothold her company maintains in China, and she's trying to find someone to accentuate it. Whoever she hires better do their homework properly because the Chinese consumer has evolved a lot since 2011. The fashion press there has done a lot to shape shopping trends to something less scattered. So the new designer might have to step in with a new aesthetic to capture the refine sect of China. Of course, if all else fails there's still the 'tuhao' (relentlessly loading up on Balmain, no doubt), lol.

 

[StoneSkipper]

If we're talking about Taiwanese designers, Shiatzy Chen is Taiwanese and based in Paris. Could she be a real candidate for the job? Lanvin could do worse, I guess...

 

[mariemaud]

Lanvin is done. Even if they do find a replacement, they'll never be as successful as Alber.

i think so
i didn't care about raf leaving dior but elbaz leaving lanvin saddens me

 

[Pricciao]

If we're talking about Taiwanese designers, Shiatzy Chen is Taiwanese and based in Paris. Could she be a real candidate for the job? Lanvin could do worse, I guess...

No way, Shiatzy is probably new to Paris, and she's fighting for it. But her empire got solid since the 90s. Besides it's 2015, Wang might go for a different strategy for political issues... and she refuses to be considered a Taiwanese now.

 

[Lola701]

It's so weird.
We could have expected from Lanvin to be more present in Asia right after they became profitable. Balenciaga became profitable at the same time...

I've talked to some people about it and some of them suggest that Alber will take a year off to distance himself from fashion and see how he can make it more relevant for him. It was also suggested that Chanel is the only big brand capable to follow a designer desire to change the system. They were the first to introduce that frenzy around the pre-collections.

Dior is a popularity-contest brand. From Gianfranco Ferre to Raf Simons, every designer hired after Marc Bohan was hired because of his talent but also his popularity. Riccardo is still on the run for Dior.
He is the perfect person for it...

For Lanvin, Sophia Kokosalaki was mentionned...and i like that idea. She can do Lanvin well.
With someone like Kokosalaki, the brand can survive.

 

[Uemarasan]

The best solution is: the house of Elbaz. Does history even remember those who designed for houses that don't carry their names?

 

[Lola701]

The best solution is: the house of Elbaz. Does history even remember those who designed for houses that don't carry their names?

Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel & Fendi
Tom Ford at Gucci & Saint Laurent
Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent & Dior Homme
Christophe Decarnin at Balmain
Marc Jacobs at Vuitton
Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga & Vuitton
Phoebe Philo at Chloé & Celine
Peter Dundas at Pucci

When the work is good and influencial, history remember the name of those who designed for houses that don't carry their names.

 

[Benn98]

Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel & Fendi
Tom Ford at Gucci & Saint Laurent
Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent & Dior Homme
Christophe Decarnin at Balmain
Marc Jacobs at Vuitton
Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga & Vuitton
Phoebe Philo at Chloé & Celine
Peter Dundas at Pucci

When the work is good and influencial, history remember the name of those who designed for houses that don't carry their names.

You forgot one of the most impactful Lola, John Galliano for Dior.

 

[Benn98]

It's so weird.
We could have expected from Lanvin to be more present in Asia right after they became profitable. Balenciaga became profitable at the same time....

In terms of sales they remain steadfast, actually. Remember, they launched after the H&M collab, so unlike other brands they didnt had to do major 'introduction' ventures. And yet it's more like an extremely niche, almost insular, brand there due to their low marketing profile (I imagine this was Alber's intention). Their competitors are frequently hyped with social media, magazine covers (Gucci made a grand re-entry this month via Vogue China), store openings and capsule collections. So it all really boils down to how brands communicate with the Chinese.

 

[anlabe32]

Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel & Fendi
Tom Ford at Gucci & Saint Laurent
Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent & Dior Homme
Christophe Decarnin at Balmain
Marc Jacobs at Vuitton
Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga & Vuitton
Phoebe Philo at Chloé & Celine
Peter Dundas at Pucci

When the work is good and influencial, history remember the name of those who designed for houses that don't carry their names.

Raf Simons at Jil Sander & Dior

 

[fashionista-ta]

I would say, though, that the designers you're mentioning are quite current, not historical. It may be a difficult question to answer, because designers who are truly historical virtually all had their own businesses.