Elbaz, Who Led the Heyday of French Luxury Brand 'Lanvin', Passes Away

Death from COVID-19 at age 59
Richmond Group Chairman "Lost the brightest and most beloved figure in the industry"

▲Alber Elbaz [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Alber Elbaz, the designer who led the heyday of France's first-generation luxury brand Lanvin, has died from COVID-19 at the age of 59.

According to the AP News on the 25th (local time), Elbaz passed away while hospitalized at a hospital near Paris.

Elbaz served as Lanvin's chief designer from 2001 to 2015, leading the brand's golden era.

In particular, Lanvin's black mini cocktail dress introduced by Elbaz was favored by Hollywood actresses such as Natalie Portman and Cate Blanchett.

However, Elbaz left Lanvin after clashing with Wang Xiao Lan, the Taiwanese media tycoon and major shareholder of Lanvin.

Born in Morocco in 1961, Elbaz obtained Israeli citizenship when his family immigrated to Israel during his childhood. Later, to become a designer, he moved to New York, USA, in 1985 and built his career working under Jeffrey Bean. In 1996, he was appointed chief designer at Guy Laroche and worked in Paris. In 1998, he moved to Yves Saint Laurent but left the company after Gucci acquired Yves Saint Laurent.

In 2019, he launched 'AZ Factory' under his own name and established ties with the Swiss Richemont Group, which owns luxury brands such as Cartier, IWC, and Montblanc.

Johann Rupert, chairman of the Richemont Group, expressed his condolences on Elbaz's passing, saying, "We have lost one of the brightest and most beloved figures in the industry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.