Picture by: Thibault Camus / AP/Press Association Images
After a 14-years at the helm of French fashion house, Lanvin, Alber Elbaz is to leave as creative director.
The Israeli designer is to depart Lanvin, after creating a household name in his 14-year period.
Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) reported that Elbaz’s departure is believed to be the result of “disagreements between the charismatic Israeli designer and company principals: owner Shaw-Lan Wang and chief executive officer Michele Huiban”.
An announcement has yet to be confirmed by the brand, with a statement to come in the forth-coming days it is believed.
WWD specified that members of his design team were informed of his exit this morning, and the rest of the fashion house’s staff finding out this afternoon at a meeting in Paris.
Elbaz took over the brands creative direction in 2001, and since reinvented the brands cocktail dresses, shoe line, costume jewellery and sleek menswear line, as well as seeing the brand celebrate its 125th anniversary last year.
Meryl Streep, Alber Elbaz, Louisa Gummer. The Fashion Group International’s Annual Night of Stars Gala. Picture by: Sean Zanni / AP/Press Association Images
The news comes merely a week after Raf Simons left another French brand, Dior, turning the fashion world on its head.
Last week Elbaz received the Superstar Award from Fashion Group International’s, Night Of The Stars, which he turned into a mini statement to the world, against the fashion world becoming more business focused, and not about the clothes produced.
He said: “We designers started as couturiers with dreams, with intuitions and with feelings … Then we became creative directors, so we have to create, but mostly direct. And now we have to become image-makers, making sure it looks good in the pictures. The screen has to scream baby — that’s the rule. And loudness is the new thing. Loudness is the new cool, and not only in fashion. I prefer whispering. I think it goes deeper and lasts longer.”
WWD speculate that Elbaz could succeed Simon’s role at Dior, in the ultimate game of swapsies ever.
More information to follow.
Check out some of Alber’s career highlights below.
