Alber Elbaz

Alber Elbaz at Lanvin, 2001–2015 Elbaz gave Jeanne Lanvin's old house soft, wearable glamour: silk cocktail dresses and feminine pieces in a 'classic with a twist' spirit that, in the trade press's view, made it one of the top houses in Paris. Revenue rose 60% in the two years from 2005 to 2007. The ending is the cautionary part, and the reason this tenure belongs here. He was let go in October 2015 after disagreements with the main shareholder, and Lanvin's sales declined afterwards: a house that had become one designer's vision struggled once he was gone. He died of Covid-19 in April 2021.