RIP Alber Elbaz - 1961-2021

[harbors]

What a terrible loss! I loved his work at Lanvin and although it shouldn't be such a rarity, he was one of the few designers who seemed to genuinely like and respect women. Not just as some fantasy object or dress-up doll but as actual people.

RIP

 

[TaylorBinque]

My heart is broken. I still remember the first time I saw his clothes on a socialite in Hello magazine. She was his biggest fan and she looks so confident, glamourous like the world is in her hands. And that was just the beginning of an introduction between me and the man. His clothes take mee to places yet it was grounded and wearable. His idea is fantasy but it was created with actual women in mind. His design are magic and he has the talent and skills to make it the most beautiful ones. The magic of a shift dress, a mini draped dress, a chucky necklace. Gosh, what a time we lived. Thank you Alber. You will always have a spacial place in my heart.

 

[perhydrol]

Alber Elbaz’s Funeral Will Take Place in Israel
Services have been scheduled for noon on Wednesday in Holon, Israel, where the Moroccan-born designer grew up.

By Miles Socha on April 26, 2021

Funeral services for Alber Elbaz have been scheduled for noon on Wednesday in Holon, Israel, where the designer grew up and where both of his parents are buried.

One of the most gifted and acclaimed designers of his generation, best known for his spectacular rejuvenation of Lanvin, Elbaz died Saturday at age 59 after a battle with COVID-19.

Details of the service were relayed by Ralph Toledano, president of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. He noted the family hopes to organize a memorial event in Paris for the fashion industry on June 11 on what would have been Elbaz’s 60th birthday.

According to Toledano, Elbaz was the youngest in the family, and is survived by two sisters and a brother.

An ebullient character prized for his couture-like craft and personal charm, Elbaz took a five-year hiatus after being ousted from Lanvin and earlier this year launched AZ Factory, a joint venture with Compagnie Financière Richemont hinged on solutions-driven fashions, entertainment and tech.

Born in Morocco in 1961 and raised and educated in Israel from age 10, the designer moved to New York in the mid-1980s. After a stint at a bridal firm, he landed at Geoffrey Beene, working as his senior assistant for seven years.

Elbaz came onto the international radar when he was recruited by Toledano to helm Guy Laroche in Paris in 1996, a stint that won raves, media attention and the job offer of a lifetime: to succeed couture legend Yves Saint Laurent at the helm of Rive Gauche ready-to-wear in 1998.

After three seasons, Elbaz was fired in the wake of Gucci Group’s takeover of YSL, with Tom Ford picking up the design reins. Elbaz subsequently did one season with Krizia in Milan before sitting on the sidelines of the business for one year.

He eventually landed at Lanvin in 2001 and catapulted it into fashion’s big leagues with his soigné cocktail dresses, artfully draped gowns, chunky costume jewelry and ballet flats. He was part of the vanguard in Paris that launched an enduring trend of couture-influenced French elegance — and gave the French capital new buzz.

from wwd.com

 

[dsamg]

According to Israeli press he was fully vaccinated, but contracted the South African variant

Alber Elbaz, top Israeli fashion icon and ex-Lanvin director, dies of COVID

Oh my gosh that is just devastating. And not to mention quite horrifying for what the future of the world looks like over the next couple of years.

I will remember this image for my whole life. And lining up at H&M for the Lanvin collection. I have to say the fashion industry is not reacting as much as it should. He was so underappreciated.

 

[Dior Dream]

Rest in peace Alber, you will forever be respected and missed
Gone too soon for no reason right before he were going to achieve something new and exciting. I am heartbroken. Life is so unfair sometimes . All of Alber's creations during his tenure at Lanvin were fascinating, the elegant construction of clothes, the bejeweled accessories, the shoes and he really knew how to put out a show. For me the atmosphere of his shows is right up there with McQueen, the slow downs, smoke and edgy music, everything was hypnotizing. The best of all, an unexpected and talented muse.
Doutzen and Mona, it's time to open your eyes!

 

[Phuel]

He will be very missed .. I feel very lucky to have followed his beautiful work at Lanvin when I was still growing up and absorbing everything like a sponge, I didn't know at the time how lucky we were to still see designers' creativity flourish every season, expressed in the vocabulary they feel most comfortable with, even if that meant a slow, gradual and tactful exploration of the house they worked for. No one was punished for that then. Sadly, the way he was abruptly removed ended up being equally educational and a major warning of what was to come for the industry as a whole. He really still had so much to give, especially in his optimism and guts to launch his own label in a time like this and become his own spokesperson when the industry right now is really just a row of factories celebrated their ability to minimize voice and soul. Such a loss.. RIP.

The creatives we grew up with challenged and elevated our sensibilities and inspired us to the highest standards and aspirations. I really didn’t know this at the time, but we were all given these invaluable lessons and an even more invaluable education all the while becoming fashion addicts to their creativity. There wasn’t a single whiff of gimmick— just talent of creative vision and hard-earned, dedicated craftsmanship. Those of us that grew up in this era are the most fortunate and blessed to have such great talents to set our highest of standards.

Nowadays, the marketers/gimmick-opportunists/race hustlers are all this new generation only know of fashion: There’re no education on the dedication of craftsmanship nor inspired to push themselves harder creatively; they’re just being fed what they already know and already comfortable with. At best, the “talent” is mediocre. When someone criticizes a Vogue coverstar’s hairstyle and they’re met with "you’re racist for not liking braids” to shut them down: How can anyone respond to such ignorance…??? It’s so unfortunate how this new audience has been brainwashed into defending mediocrity with race-hustling every single time: Braids is a hairstyle— no Black person, from Jamaica to The Democratic Republic of Congo, is born with braids LOL But that’s the mentality these days, sadly. Mediocrity gets hyped and given an easy pass with race-hustling/gender-hustling because most are so afraid to question and be critical of it in fear off being labelled racist/misogynist/sexist/homophobic etc. And standards keep finding new lows because of it. Alber was from that magical time in fashion when standards were still so uncompromisingly high.

Will always cherish him for having fun and not being afraid to make fun of models— and himself:

 

[blackcherrified]

Will always cherish him for having fun and not being afraid to make fun of models— and himself:

... and this...

 

[velvetandsilk]

His Lanvin when I started interesting fashion world was my favorite brand. He created very beautiful, self-confident, glamour vision of women.

 

[WAVES]

^ is that what happened? covid?

He will be very missed .. I feel very lucky to have followed his beautiful work at Lanvin when I was still growing up and absorbing everything like a sponge, I didn't know at the time how lucky we were to still see designers' creativity flourish every season, expressed in the vocabulary they feel most comfortable with, even if that meant a slow, gradual and tactful exploration of the house they worked for. No one was punished for that then. Sadly, the way he was abruptly removed ended up being equally educational and a major warning of what was to come for the industry as a whole. He really still had so much to give, especially in his optimism and guts to launch his own label in a time like this and become his own spokesperson when the industry right now is really just a row of factories celebrated their ability to minimize voice and soul. Such a loss.. RIP.

so much this @MulletProof ! totally agree with you

and very good points made too @Phuel

Alber Elbaz will indeed leave a huge gap. what will be of Fashion? Oscar is gone, Karl, now Alber...

 

[fashionista-ta]

Omg, my heartbeat seriously increased when I saw the title on New Threads!
It's just such a shock. RIP. I hope he went peacefully.

He leaves behind an impressive legacy though and his tenure will certainly have a place in the annals of fashion history. So many women to this day still dress in his aesthetic.

Fashionista-ta will be heartbroken, I'm sure.

I am ... and if there is justice in the world, karma is headed in the direction of Wang Shaw-lan. What a waste of several of the last years of his life.

Time to break out and wear some of his Lanvin this week ...

According to Israeli press he was fully vaccinated, but contracted the South African variant

Alber Elbaz, top Israeli fashion icon and ex-Lanvin director, dies of COVID

Wow. Obviously weight is a risk factor ... he was relatively young. I wonder if there's an additional health condition we don't know about. This is one of the worst losses of the pandemic.

What a terrible loss! I loved his work at Lanvin and although it shouldn't be such a rarity, he was one of the few designers who seemed to genuinely like and respect women. Not just as some fantasy object or dress-up doll but as actual people.

RIP

Alber was in a category of his own when it came to loving women I truly have never seen another line that catered to diverse body types the way he did.

 

[conspicuousconsumer]

So very sad, like others have said I was excited to see what he would do next and of course had great hope he would take over another historic and important house. Farewell Alber.

 

[kissmesweet]

I don't even know what to say... so shocking and heartbreaking to hear this news. Alber Elbaz was one of the first designers whose work I fell in love when I started becoming interested in fashion as a teenager. His time at Lanvin was iconic.

May he rest in peace. My deepest condolences to his loved ones.

 

[billiejbob]

Will always cherish him for having fun and not being afraid to make fun of models— and himself:

This campaign is by far one of my favourites! Just a fun uplifting campaign with beautiful clothes and beautiful models. I love that Karen Elson posted this as her tribute. Such a sad, sad loss!