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Tributes have been pouring in from the fashion world following the tragic news that designer Alber Elbaz has passed away at the age of 59 following a battle with Covid-19.
“I have lost not only a colleague but a beloved friend,” said Richemont founder and chairman Johann Rupert, who confirmed the news. “Alber had a richly deserved reputation as one of the industry’s 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.”
“I will never forget how generous, talented, loving he was,” wrote Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri. “He was the first person who made me feel at home in the fashion industry. His favorite word was love and it’s with this word I will always remember him.” Kim Kardashian wrote that her “heart broke” when she heard the news of his passing, and Naomi Campbell said that it was “a blessing” to have known him.
Designer Peter Dundas spoke of what a talented designer and a great showman Elbaz was, adding: “He was always so friendly, supportive of us his fellow designers and such fun to be with whenever our paths crossed.”
Giambattista Valli remembered the designer’s beautiful mind and his effortlessly cultivated attitude for life, while Erin O’Connor described what a “fine, kind, creative gentleman” he was.
Fashion editor Suzy Menkes paid tribute to the “witty, wise and whimsical designer who put women first” in a lengthy Instagram post, and photographer Mert Alas referred to him as a great man of our time.
ELLE editor-in-chief Nina Garcia described him as someone who “transferred his joie de vivre into his designs.” “He was generous and kind, what we call a true friend.”
Read a round-up of the moving tributes to the late designer, below.
