Fashion

Alber Elbaz

A man of exceptional warmth and talent The fashion world is mourning after the sudden loss of Alber Elbaz, a beloved designer, best known for his revival of Lanvin and, more recently, his new line AZ Factory. A gem and a rare talent in the fashion industry, Alber Elbaz used to stand out with his ability to make women feel good and charming. He loved women and said that he was there to make them look good and confident in their appearance. The Moroccan-born Elbaz was raised in Tel Aviv and studied fashion at Shenkar College. He began his career with Geoffrey Beene in New York before moving to Paris in 1997. There he got into Guy Laroche and then Yves Saint Laurent as the women's ready-to-wear designer. He moved to Lanvin in 2001 when the oldest running fashion house was struggling deeply. He was a magical touch to Lanvin, transforming the brand into a highly coveted one. He had started from scratch to build the contemporary image of Lanvin and worked around his emotions and aesthetical approach to give the brand the romantic and strong feeling it has. Ignoring the trends and prototypes, he designed for every kind of woman of every age, every colour, and every body shape. He used colours, frills, jewels, and layers in such a cunning way that he could offer something for every woman by giving them the pleasure of feeling special. His designs were not revealing at all, but they were so strong and striking that they could draw attention. The flowing and asymmetrical silhouette of his designs were a result of his approach to garments. He preferred to work directly on mannequins instead of paper, although he did sketch, the end results were usually completely different from the work on paper he said. He added that it is because fashion is three-dimensional, there is more than just the front and back in reality. “It’s not about the front or back of a dress. It’s about what’s in between...the human being, the person.” He acquired his technique and profession from Geoffrey Beene, with whom he worked for several years. “When you do ‘red carpet’ and all you see is interest in a bag, a necklace, and a pair of earrings, you’re missing the point. I want to see the women. I want to understand who they are. I want to make the dress disappear.” Focusing on women rather than dresses, Elbaz succeeded in creating glamorous beauty. With the emotions he passed onto his designs, he touched the soul as well as the eye. By making women happy with the dresses, he nourished his spirit and that way he felt good. Fashion was his world, and that world is now incomplete without seeing his sense of fashion.