Alber Elbaz

The Fashion Statement: Lanvin at H&M!

I can see the lines snaking around the block now! H&M confirmed it: Men and women will be able to get themselves some Lanvin at about 200 H&M stores on Nov. 23, according to Women's Wear Daily.

Word broke yesterday that the sizzling hot Paris label may be collaborating with cheap chic retailer H&M. Fashion industry bible WWD reported that the Swedish retailer was expected to announce plans with Lanvin and its creative director Alber Elbaz within the coming week.

Upon hearing the news yesterday, the fashion blogs went nuts, writing things like "Yes, Please!" and "Cross your fingers." Even a few well-heeled ladies I talked to vowed they would pick up a piece or ten from the capsule collection.

To wet our appetites, H&M has been posting 23-second highly stylized black and white videos on Facebook and Youtube. Quotes from a mystery designer comes through the mouths of male and female actors captured in flashing images that show everything but an actual face. Initially, the rumor mill focused on Tomas Maier of Bottega Venetta and Carolina Herrera as possible originators of the quotes. Then, WWD wrote yesterday: "While the camera never lingers on the faces long enough for recognition in the clips, the voice-over of designer musings, while electronically altered, are unmistakable Elbaz-isms."

Tags: alber elbaz, erin fetherston, HM, karl lagerfeld, Lanvin, madonna, rodarte, stella mccartney, zac posen

Continue reading “The Fashion Statement: Lanvin at H&M!”

Qatar's Royal Family to Buy Stake in Lanvin

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Famed French fashion house Lanvin of Paris is in talks to sell a major stake in the business to Qatar's royal family. Lanvin owner Shaw-Lan Wang, a Taiwanese media magnate, is said to be keen to exploit the brand's burgeoning success under current creative director Alber Elbaz, formerly of Yves Saint Laurent, Vogue UK reports.

While nothing is set in stone, the deal is said to be worth many millions. Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, is ranked at No. 7 on Forbes' list of the world's richest royals with a fortune of $2 billion. Since Sheikh Hamad ramped up the development of Qatar's vast oil and natural gas reserves, the country now has the highest per-capita income in the world.

Tags: Alber Elbaz, AlberElbaz, French fashion, FrenchFashion, Lanvin, Paris, Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, SheikhHamadBinKhalifaAlThani