Rest In Peace, Sweet Alber

The fashion world lost a true icon at the weekend as Covid claimed yet another victim, this time Alber Elbez, best known for his creative direction at Lanvin and for being the nicest man in fashion.

He was only 59 years old.

Alber Elbez was a true visionary. In 1996 he located to Paris to become the head of prêt-à-porter design at Guy Laroche. He stayed there for 2 years before moving on to Yves Saint Laurent, but when the Gucci Group bought the company, they let Alber go. Then in 2001, he was appointed fashion director at Lanvin, where he remained until 2015. The French house was reinvented and reinvigorated by Alber as he brought joy and colour into the stuffy French brand.

When he left Lanvin he launched his own brand, AZ Factory. He just wanted women to feel great about themselves. When asked abput his brand he remarked, ‘If I was a woman, what would I want?’ Something that is first comfortable. Something fun. Something that lets me eat a big piece of cake.”

By all accounts he really was the sweetness man in fashion - and that is rare character trait in an industry that chews people up and spits them out with alarming regularity.

Rest in peace, Alber. The industry has lost a true icon.