Alber Elbaz, an Israeli fashion designer and the creative director of Lanvin in Paris from 2001 until 2015, has died from COVID-19, at the age of 59, according to the luxury conglomerate Richemont.
A Richemont spokesperson told CNN that Elbaz died on April 24 from COVID-19. He died at a Paris hospital, according to Women’s Wear Daily.
Richemont 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 added. “He was a man of exceptional warmth and talent, and his singular vision, sense of beauty, and empathy leave an indelible impression.”
Elbaz teamed up with Richemont in 2019, aiming to launch his own brand called AZfashion, after working with other fashion houses, such as Geoffrey Beene, Guy Laroche, and Yves Saint Laurent.
Born on June 12, 1961, in Casablanca, Morocco, Elbaz grew up in Israel before moving to New York in the 1980s. His father was a hairdresser and his mother was a painter.
He first became famous when his name was announced to lead the French house Guy Laroche in Paris in 1996.
Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, French Minister of Culture, paid tribute to Elbaz’s “intelligence, humor and great creativity that changed the fashion world.”
“For 14 years, the visionary genius of Alber Elbaz led Lanvin at the top of international fashion,” she added.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also paid tribute to Elbaz, tweeting her “great sadness” at the news and stating that he was “a talented, generous man. He loved Paris so much and will be missed.” Elbaz’s life partner was Alex Koo, Lanvin’s director of merchandising.
