Star Struck Style

Alber Elbaz & Carine Roitfeld (source: Vogue)

June 12 is Alber Elbaz’s birthday.

I like Alber Elbaz. When he was designing for Lanvin, the label had a distinct point of view that made the womenswear stand out amongst its competitors. During its recent heyday, it was on the verge of becoming one of those heritage brands that would forever be inseparable from its modern creative director.

Now I don’t know what to think of it. Lanvin has been in flux because of its former owner and her inability to choose a coherent direction for the label. She sold the company earlier this year, and the new owner parted ways with Olivier Lapidus, the most-recent designer to front for the brand. In a way, the mismanagement of the Paris-based house has reminded me of the inability of Salvatore Ferragamo to choose a lane and stay in it. How many times…