The Two Asian Who Change a Century Brand

Hsiao-Lan Wang

Alber Elbaz For Lanvin

A deficit years after years, struggling in the dying years of the European brand, in the hands of one Taiwanese and one Israelis to re-climr the peak on the fashion.


The Eight District at Paris, after the van full of jewelry temptation of Washington Square, Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe along the direction of walking, the famous Rue de Faubourg Saint Honore street boutique, car sound pressures in the stone on the road, suggesting that a long time Gallery of experience. 


Pass through Chanel, Gucci and Prada shop, a small one-way street intersection, three major forces contesting Cartier, Hermes and Lanvin owned the corner of the window swaying elegance. Passer-by could not help slowing down because here it is not only the luxury brands' battlefield, but also showcases the world-class exhibition to be view.


A shop, With Ten Million Euros 
If Paris is a very large gallery, Lanvin's creative director Alber Elbaz who personally taken care of the window display, then it is a cannot miss beautiful scenery.The sales with purple tie open the door to invite the customer when they walked into the door. The Middle East women is standing in front of the full length dressing mirror makes people reminiscent of the loyal fan of Lanvin- Her majesty of Jordan, Houlaniya. The two girls raised five pairs of shoes are ready to leave after paying off are from South Korea, no wonder a single shop of Lanvin will be a able to create a million euros in turnover.The small area which have six floors, not just the French brand Lanvin boutique century's global headquarters for more than a hundred year, it is also the Jeanne Lanvin's house when she create the brand. On the third floor, there is a small office, Jeanne Lanivn's desk, chairs have been still preserved. Large floor mirrors on three sides and a lot of design draft are still being places on a white bookcase is also in the room. 


Hsiao-lan Wang, The Person Who Change Lanvin


One of the oldest French fashion houses is founded by Jeanne Lanvin at 1889, it was famous for their elegance and highly privileged French style. When 2001 when the Taiwanese United News publisher Hsiao-Lan Wang bought the brand from L'Oreal group, the brand was suffering the bankruptcy .After Hsiao-Lan Wang took over the brand, at 2007 not only turned the brand from bankruptcy to one of the best selling high end luxury brand. According to "Reuters", the brand is now worth more than one hundred million Euros and still maintaining to grow until nowadays. 


Alber Elbaz is a Jewish, born in Casablanca, Morocco, grown up at Tel Aviv, Israel, experience his fashion skill in New York cause his taste to become very multi-cultural in the fashion world today. However before Alber Elbaz was put into the creative designer of Lanvin, his career wasn't going so well. After rejected by YSL and Givenchy which means that he is also being rejected by the two largest group (Gucci Groupe and LVMH) of fashion behind the two brands.


After not too long when Hsiao-Lan Wang bought Lanvin, she happens to be in Cannes, France. Alber Elbaz made a phone call to her and said he would like to meet up with her. " By that time he didn't have a job for more than a year already, he was holding his press book when he came to me because he heard that Lanvin had been sold to an Oriental." 
At the first meeting, Hsiao-Lan Wang felt his design style is simple, clean and tidy. Less than ten minutes, she decide to ask him to work as a creative designer for the brand. " Fortunately, I kept him in the brand, otherwise he might go to Cartier since he also likes jewelry design as well." recalls by Hsiao-Lan Wang.

A Creative Designer Who Knows About Business 


The Jewish man, Alber Elbaz shows his business skills when he entered Lanvin. He saw the Chinese Jingdezhen porcelain doll created by the artist Liu Jianhua given him the inspiration to produce a series of lady ready-to-wear in Shanghai ceramic dolls as Lanvin's ads. " Many people thought I overthrew him boldly with the original advertisement plan, in fact he had help me saved several million dollars at modeling." Hsiao-Lan Wang laughs and said. A good designer should also has a businessman's mid of thinking. 

The philosophy of Alber Elbaz's design is "to solve problems according to the conditions." Now it is the time that women has nothing to loss, he returned to the most simple design. The cuts has been through a lot of brainstorming, it brings out a simple style that has elegant with natural, cool modern which makes a dress looks like a cloth hanging on a woman. 

"I like to use cut on the bias,because the dress that I made looks like hugging a woman." Alber Elbaz described. It is easy for designers to falls into the trap with their own talents. It is not that important for Alber Elbaz, the importance for him is when the woman put on clothes become a invisible beauty. " Most of people just see how the face is like, clothing is something to add on the beauty." Therefore the lighting in the store is not trying to make the clothes looks better, it is for women to have a better and more beautiful skin. How to be simple, yet maintain the characteristics of the design is something hardest thing for design. "Unnoticeable simple" is something that Alber Elbaz strongest at. 
According to "The New York Times" praised him quenching out the "Modern Paris". Either a point of ribbon on the neck or waist or the pearl decorated in tulle skirts has make his design become an heir of the " French Elegance" and brought out Jeanne Lanvin's decoration with ribbon and jewelry design carried forward. The success of Alber Elbaz has make him win the International Fashion Award at CFDA. He has also being enthrone as the top three famous fashion designers which has John Galliano for Dior, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.