There are few fashion designers who are unanimous among their peers. Alber Elbaz, who was at the head of the creation of the Lanvin house for fourteen years and died of Covid-19, in April, at the age of 59, was one of them. Tuesday, October 6, at the end of the week of presentation of the spring-summer 2022 collections, the small world of fashion gathered during a tribute parade at the Carreau du Temple, around the teams of AZ Factory, the label launched by the creator in November 2020.
“Alber’s mantra was “Love Brings Love”. He knew how to touch the cœheart of every person he has met, whatever their status or age, with his generosity, his sense of humor and his infinite empathy ”, says Alex Koo, who was Alber Elbaz’s companion for almost thirty years.
Inspired by the story of the 1945 “Theâtre de la mode” – a traveling show featuring the traditional know-how of French fashion in the form of small dolls – the evening brought together 45 “tribute” creations, each signed by a different designer. “ It was very easy to convince them to participate in this event. Alber was highly regarded in the profession and his fashion touched a lot of people ”, details Laurent Malecaze, president of AZ Factory.
Everyone then set about expressing the joyful and facetious universe of Alber Elbaz, like Pieter Mulier at Alaïa, who sent a pink dress sculpted like a second skin punctuated with hearts to the podium. , or even Demna Gvasalia for Balenciaga, who proposed a large pink taffeta cape dress, closed in the back with a giant bow, one of the couturier’s favorite gimmicks.
Dries Van Noten and Grace Wales Bonner
Some have reproduced the designer’s singular silhouette on their proposal, such as Olivier Rousteing for Balmain, who punctuated her little silk satin dress – inspired by Lanvin’s fall-winter 2013 collection – with a self-portrait sketch of the couturier, with his glasses recognizable among a thousand. Dries Van Noten followed the same exercise, on a long draped pink coat, just like Bruno Sialelli at Lanvin, who projected a portrait photo of the designer on a large white cape.
“When Pierpaolo Piccioli and I were appointed artistic directors of Valentino, Vogue Italy organized a big dinner. I was very impressed to be surrounded by established and recognized designers. Alber was the first to come and talk to me and make me feel welcome. He congratulated me and stayed by my side throughout the evening. He became like a brother to me “, details Maria Grazia Chiuri, artistic director of Dior, who presented a strapless tulle dress adorned with hearts and sketches of little black dresses.
“Alber Elbaz’s fashion was for me the epitome of joy. He knew how to cut the garment perfectly and he freed the woman’s body like no one else. I also wanted to highlight the relationship between Lanvin and Hermès. Alber was very fond of the house and vice versa. I wanted to pay him a personal tribute ”, confides Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski, artistic director of Hermès, who worked around a pleated dress mixing leather and silk.
The young generation of creators has also lent themselves to the game, like Grace Wales Bonner, who revisited the art of tailoring – mastered to perfection by Alber Elbaz -, through an elegant trouser suit. The South African designer Thebe Magugu was inspired by Alber Elbaz’s visit to Guy Laroche – in 1997 – for his silhouette combining a vaporous blouse and a long pleated white skirt in recycled satin. “ It is a great honor for me to participate in this evening. Alber has always inspired me enormously. I remember his kindness from him, which is sometimes a bit lacking in our industry ”, confides the young designer, crossed at the exit of a moving evening, gathering the family and the friends of Alber Elbaz.
