Love Brings Love, Homage à Alber Elbaz, Palais Galliera

SortiraParis

Its been really hard to post post this week, but this invasion is not going away. On Friday I saw a preview at Palais Galliera ,an homage to brilliant designer, Alber Elbaz that had me in tears. We lost Alber Elbaz last year in April to Covid.

Last October, Paris Fashion Week closed with a tribute to the late Alber Elbaz,

Organized by AZ Factory, his last company. The show invited 44 of the greatest designers to create a silhouette inspired by his work. 

Palais Galleria transformed this show into an exhibition.

A one-of-a-kind exhibit of extravagant dresses with long trains, ruffles, big bows and dresses printed with Alber’s inimitable image.

“I had a dream to to make a dress, just a simple dress, that can hug a woman. A dress that will hold a woman when you need it.” Alber Elbaz

Some background notes: Albaz was born in Casablanca, Morocco and grew up and studied art and engineering in Israel. 

In 1987 (age 27) he moved to New York with $800 in his pocket. He began his career designing wedding dresses. 

After months of trying to get an interview with Geoffrey Beene, they met and he was hired in 10 minutes. They worked together for 7 years, Till Elbaz moved to Paris in 1996 to design the Guy Laroche collection. 

In 2001 he became creative director at Lanvin, where he worked for 14 years. In January of 2021 he formed a new company, AZ Factory, which is still producing today. 

You can watch the actual runway show here. Those are falling red hearts ❤️

I was inspired to sketch those gorgeous pieces. 

The Palais Galliera exhibit is on till July 10, 2022 so you can still catch it. 

❤️Bon Dimanche PBers❤️

#StandWithUkraine Doctors Without Borders🙏🙏🙏

Lanvin Spr'11/Jan Gossart 1532

Photo by Grance Dore

While Sunday surfing I came across this arresting photo by Garance Dore of Lanvin's Spring 2011 collection...

Yesterday I went to a press preview of the Jan Gossart exhibit at the Met - can you see where this is headed? Lanvin's fabulous flowie drapery... Has Alber Elbaz been looking at Neatherlandish painting?
Or is it just me that sees... These complex draperies... Repeated in these paintings of Jan Gossart?
Scrunched...

Red pigment was such a rare commodity for artists back in the 13-14th century - vermilion or cinnabar was usually reserved for the most exquisite of painted subjects like the virgin. But here the artiste has deemed himself worthy of the finest. Is that why I see RED everywhere?

Of course Lanvin loves black too...

As does this Met preview observer draped in noir...

Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz would make a worthy portrait subject for 13th century Jan Gossart don't you think?

Can't you envision the couture sketches pinned to the wall behind his head and fabric swatches/colored threads on his work table..?

Bien sur only a 21st century designer could dream up these fantastical shoes-who knows if they bothered with shoes under all that drapery?

Man, Myth, and Sensual Pleasures: Jan Gossart’s Renaissance

opens tomorrow at the Metropolitan Museum - a spendid exhibit.

Back in New York a boy braves the cold with not much drapery at all. He better cover up - it's 54 degrees out there.

BONJOUR LANVIN/JAN GOSSART!