Israeli fashion designer Alber Elbaz, best known for being at the helm of Lanvin from 2001 to 2015, has died at the age of 59, luxury conglomerate Richemont said.
In a statement released on Sunday, Richemont's chairman Johann Rupert said “it was with shock and enormous sadness that I heard of Alber’s sudden passing. Alber had a richly deserved reputation as one of the industry’s brightest and most beloved figures.
"I was always taken by his intelligence, sensitivity, generosity and unbridled creativity. He was a man of exceptional warmth and talent, and his singular vision, sense of beauty and empathy leave an indelible impression," Rupert said.
The Richemont group paid tribute to Elbaz's “inclusive vision of fashion” that “made women feel beautiful and comfortable by blending traditional craftsmanship with technology.”
Elbaz started to work in collaboration with Richemont in 2019 with the aim of launching his own label, AZfashion.
His family announced that he will be buried in Israel.
Born in Morocco in 1961, Elbaz grew up in Israel, where after his military service he studied design at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, before moving to New York in the 1980s.
He launched his fashion career in 1985, working in New York with designer Geoffrey Beene.
In 1996 he became the design director at Guy Laroche in Paris, before joining Yves Saint Laurent as creative director of its ready-to-wear brand Rive Gauche.
In 2001, he joined Lanvin, where he earned critical and commercial success based on his principle of putting women first.
5 View gallery
Kim Kardashian with Kanye West on the cover of Vogue Magazine, wearing a dress designed by Elbaz
Among Elbaz's creations were the dress worn by Meryl Streep when she accepted her Oscar for Best Actress in 2012 for The Iron Lady, while other celebrity fans included Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore and Kate Moss
During his 14-year tenure, Elbaz was credited with reviving the French couture house's fortunes, with modern takes on silk cocktail dresses and colorful, feminine designs.
"It was just about giving ease to women," he said of his dresses with industrial zips and raw edges, two of the hallmarks he established for Lanvin.
Lanvin sales slumped following his departure in 2015 and the brand was eventually bought by China's Fosun.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo described Elbaz's death as a great sadness.
"Alber Elbaz was a talented, generous man, he loved Paris so much. He will be missed," she wrote on Twitter.