PARIS ā Israeli designer Alber Elbaz, best known for spending 14 years at the helm of France's Lanvin fashion house, has died at 59, the luxury conglomerate Richemont said Sunday.
A spokesperson for Richemont told CNN that Elbaz died Saturday from COVID-19. Womenās Wear Daily said he died at a Paris hospital.
Recommended Videos
In a statement, Richemont chairman Johann Rupert said āit was with shock and enormous sadness that I heard of Alberās sudden passing. Alber had a richly deserved reputation as one of the industryās 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 āinclusive vision of fashionā that āmade women feel beautiful and comfortable by blending traditional craftsmanship with technology.ā
Elbaz started to work in collaboration with Richemont in 2019 with the aim of launching his own label, AZfashion.
Born in Morocco in 1961, Elbaz grew up in Israel before moving to New York in the 1980s.
He first became known to the public when he was named to lead the French house Guy Laroche in Paris in 1996. In 1998, he became creative director at Yves Saint Laurent. He was credited with reviving Lanvin during his long stint there from 2001 to 2015.
French Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin paid tribute to Elbazā āintelligence, humour and great creativity that changed the fashion world.ā
At the helm of Lanvin, the oldest French fashion house, he āwonderfullyā met the challenge .
āFor 14 years, the visionary genius of Alber Elbaz led Lanvin at the top of international fashion,ā she stressed in a statement.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted her āgreat sadnessā at the news, saying Elbaz was āa talented, generous man. He loved Paris so much and will be missed.ā