Alber Elbaz

Lanvin Fall 2012 Ready-to-Wear

As the oldest French fashion house still in operation, it is understandable that at the turn of the 21^st century Lanvin was looking for a way to revamp its image.  Cue the hiring of Alber Elbaz, who recently celebrated a decade as creative director of the label.  His journey to fashion began from a young age, sketching images of clothing both imagined and real.  After attending the Shenkar College of Textile Technology and Fashion, Elbaz made the move from Israel to New York in 1987 to work under Geoffrey Beene.  It was there that he learned to defy trends and master draping.  Elbaz continued to change design houses throughout the 1990’s, designing for YSL, Gucci and others before settling into Lanvin in 2001.  His love of the female form and understanding of femininity, mixed with his business savvy, helped revive the struggling fashion house.  His designs brought back luxury, timelessness and feminine grace to the fashion label.  His achievements in design have since been recognized with the CFDA’s International Designer Award in 2005 and in 2007 he received the prestigious Legion of Honor medal in Paris.  Ten years after joining the fashion house, Elbaz has restored a brand built on creating what women want.  Elbaz explains his successful aesthetic, “Modernity for me is beautiful and emotional and comfortable and timeless.” View the latest from Lanvin here.