Lanvin Staff Protest Elbaz Exit

Alber Elbaz has left a revolt in his wake at Lanvin, where the fashion house's 330 employees are demanding a face-to-face meeting in Paris with owner Shaw-Lan Wang who resides in her native Taiwan, reports WWD. The company's works council, on behalf of the workforce, wants Wang to "listen to their concerns, answer questions and reassure employees", and ultimately, "Bring Elbaz back."

There is also the suggestion that the council is seeking help from the Paris Commercial Court "to mediate its opposition to the management decision", according to a radio broadcast on French station RTL yesterday lunchtime, during which it was also revealed that upon being told of Elbaz's exit after 14 years, there was "shock, tears, and chants of 'Alber, Alber, Alber'".

Elbaz himself made no secret of the fact that his departure from Lanvin was not his decision. In a statement released on Wednesday night, the former creative director wrote: "At this time of my departure from Lanvin on the decision of the company's majority shareholder, I wish to express my gratitude and warm thoughts to all those who have worked with me passionately on the revival of Lanvin over the last 14 years," adding, "I wish the house of Lanvin the future it deserves among the best French luxury brands, and hope that it finds the business vision it needs to engage in the right way forward."

At this point the only comment from the brand has been to confirm the end of its collaboration with Elbaz. In a statement, also released on Wednesday, the house thanked Elbaz for "the chapter he has written in the house's over 125 year history", before ending it: "The house of Lanvin confirms the implementation of its corporate strategic plan to continue making the oldest of the Parisian fashion houses, the Ambassador of French luxury's excellence, in the independent spirit of its founder Jeanne Lanvin."