LIVE FROM NEW YORK: The last time Alber Elbaz spoke publicly in New York, he really let loose, challenging the fashion system up and down at the Fashion Group International’s Night of Stars last fall. Guests were still in the dark then that Ellbaz would soon be parting ways with Lanvin.
The house’s former creative director will no doubt have a lot to say on May 3 when he takes to the stage at The New School’s Parsons School of Design with Kim Hastreiter, Paper magazine founder/editor/publisher and fashion consultant Julie Gilhart.
Elbaz has had a busy few months. Officially off Lanvin’s board of directors, the designer recently visited China and Seoul. And 10 years after he first was named a Knight of the Legion of Honor, he has been promoted to Officer of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest civilian distinction.
During a two-hour talk at Tsinghua University in China last month with Vogue China editor in chief Angelica Cheung, Elbaz reminded the crowd of 300 students to be true to themselves. “Fashion is a very long marathon where we run but don’t lose calories. We work so hard and we have to prepare ourselves to learn how to do fashion and it’s not enough just because you’re famous,” Elbaz said at that time.