Lanvin, whose beloved longtime designer Alber Elbaz was ousted last fall in what critic Vanessa Friedman called a “very ugly divorce,” has been visibly struggling without him. WWD reports that Bouchra Jarrar, who has done stints at Balenciaga and Christian Lacroix and launched her own house in 2010, will start as…
On Friday, Lanvin showed its first collection in 14 years not designed by the beloved genius Alber Elbaz—the creative director whose talents resurrected a dusty Parisian label and turned it into the global standard-bearer of elegance—who was ousted last year after a dispute with the brand’s primary shareholder. And…
Alber Elbaz’s dismissal at Lanvin last week is quickly becoming one of the most interesting fashion news stories in years; as it’s developed, the story has highlighted the swiftly shifting nature of the industry and labor issues therein through the lens of one of fashion’s most celebrated geniuses. Today, it just got…
Since beloved Lanvin creative director Alber Elbaz was ousted last week, employees at the French design house have been demanding accountability from its owner, Shaw-Lan Wang. Today, though, WWD reports that their requests have been denied by management, and communications have devolved so far that a labor inspector…
[UPDATED] The irony, after WWD’s piece yesterday exploring whether fashion is exhausting its creatives: today, the outlet reports that Alber Elbaz, the beloved and iconic fashion director of Lanvin for the past 14 years, will soon announce his retirement from the brand.
Today WWD unleashed a crucial feature that asks the fundamental question, “Is Fashion Heading for a Burnout?” The endless schedule of fashion weeks—and the increasing demand on designers to churn out eight seasons a year to keep up with consumer demand—has been a font for soul-searching for several years now,…
Lanvin has been running this fashion shit for 125 years, a milestone creative director Alber Elbaz celebrated this week in Paris with his typical modern silhouettes and elegant power.
Paris fashion week glides along with the Lavin spring 2014 collection, which was a shiny concept-heap of many varied silhouettes and styles, some of which seemed to be a highbrow take on Eurotrash — perhaps reified in the very beautiful shiny trashbag-style purses carried by some of the models (when asked about the…
Besides Beyoncé and the Clydesdale, there was something else eye-catching during the Super Bowl: Calvin Klein's first-ever Super Bowl commercial. Calvin Klein Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PVH Corp, hired creative director Fabien Baron of Baron + Baron to create the 30-second spot, shot by Steven Klein and…
Paris Fashion Week continues! What did Alber Elbaz cook up for the Spring 2013 collection? Dark heavy metal partybot asymmetrical jumpsuits. Jewel-tone satins. Aggressively square shoulders. Cowboy boots with stiletto heels. Blade Runner-esque raincoats cinched with obi sashes. The makeup was described as being very,…
This is kind of a DUH but so great to see it confirmed: Multiethnic beauty consumers are on the rise. WWD reports that there are "a growing number of women in the U.S. who associate themselves with multiple ethnic backgrounds, thus making it difficult for them to find brands that speak to them - or work for them -…
Lanvin's decision to cast non-models in its fall ads — "real women" and "real men" who just happen to look gorgeous — got a lot of attention when it was announced yesterday. Under what other circumstances would an 82-year-old woman of color become the face of a major luxury brand? Now that all of the ads have been…
I defy anyone to watch this video of Lanvin models Karen Elson and Raquel Zimmerman dancing to Pitbull's deathless clerb hit "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" without cracking a smile. I've watched it four times this morning, each time asking myself what is it exactly that's so funny? Something about the…
That lovable kook Alber Elbaz is back, giving interviews to Paper and New York about his latest collection and his Internet-reading habits. I've taken the liberty of compiling some of his bonniest bons mots for your reading pleasure.
