Alber Elbaz To Depart Lanvin?

Alber Elbaz is said to be departing Lanvin as creative director after 14 years at the helm. An official announcement is expected imminently.

Elbaz's departure is said to be a result of "disagreements between the charismatic Israeli designer and company principals: owner Shaw-Lan Wang and chief executive officer Michele Huiban", reports

Elbaz's design team were allegedly told of his exit this morning, while all members of staff at the fashion house - which celebrated its 125th anniversary last year - were called to a meeting this afternoon at its Paris HQ.

Earlier this year, we reported that Lanvin owner Wang was looking to sell the fashion house, although nothing has come to fruition. Elbaz, who was brought on by Wang in 2001 and owns a stake in the fashion house, is said to have "complained about a lack of strategy and targeted investment, and about compromising the image of the brand in Asia".

While his next move is unknown, speculation will no doubt surround the currently empty vacancy at Dior following Raf Simons's departure last week, although given that Elbaz has been vocal about his desire to slow down the pace of fashion amidst an ever more developing digital landscape, something entirely different may be on the horizon.