Top 10 facts about Alber Elbaz

Born in Morocco in 1961, Alber Elbaz moved to New York in 1985 and honed his craft working with designer Geoffrey Beene. In 1996, he appeared on the international fashion radar when he became creative director at Guy Laroche in Paris

Elbaz was hand-picked by Yves Saint Laurent to design his women’s ready-to-wear line in 1998. He was replaced after three critically acclaimed seasons by Tom Ford

Lanvin, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest fashion houses in Paris. Since Elbaz arrived there in 2001, the Moroccan-born Israeli designer has put his own stamp on the brand, reintroducing sophisticated allure with classic cuts, lush fabrics and elegant embellishment

Alber Elbaz is just as famous for his personal style choices as he is for his collections. His signature aesthetic centres around a dinner jacket and bow tie which is he rarely seen without. As a result, the bow tie has become a mainstay of Lanvin’s menswear line and represents a light-hearted and playful approach to fashion

In 2010, Alber Elbaz brought his designs to a wider audience in a collaboration with high-street brand H&M. The 48-piece collection focused on his love of jewel-toned cocktail dresses, patterned trench coats, animal-print accessories and flower-inspired jewellery

Elbaz’s other collaborations include designing a bespoke Lanvin dress for Minnie Mouse to wear during the 20th anniversary celebrations of Disneyland Paris in 2013

Elbaz has been quoted as saying that if he wasn’t a fashion designer, he would have been a doctor

He was quoted as saying it is ‘my job to make women beautiful’. Consequently, he has a loyal following among some of the world’s most beautiful women, who often wear his designs on the red carpet, including Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Emma Stone. He also created Demi Moore’s wedding dress

The designer is famous for his kind-hearted and generous spirit, often sending other designers flowers before they showcase their new collections. His personal touch with clients and his love of women can be clearly seen in his collections

Following his abrupt departure from Lanvin, speculation has turned to whether Elbaz will take over as creative director at Dior, after it was announced last week that Raf Simons had left his position there