Fashion sheds its skein

ON Wednesday - six days after it was announced that designer Raf Simons was leaving Christian Dior, and weeks after Alexander Wang's last show for the house of Balenciaga - Lanvin, the oldest surviving French fashion house - announced that its creative director, Alber Elbaz, is also leaving the company, "on the decision of the company's majority shareholder", according to a statement from Elbaz.

"Feels like the industry is shedding its skin right now," Linda Fargo, the women's fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman, wrote in an email. But unlike Simons and Wang, both of whom lasted approximately three years at Dior and Balenciaga respectively, Elbaz has been at Lanvin since 2001. He single-handedly revived the brand, making it a favourite of regular women and celebrities such as Meryl Streep and Natalie Portman, in the process becoming one of fashion's most beloved figures.

He is known not only for his talent but also for his generosity (he regularly sends flowers to other designers before their shows) and his self-questioning. Last week, receiving his award at the Fashion Group International Night of Stars, Roger Vivier designer Bruno Frisoni noted that the event was especially important to him because Elbaz was also being honoured.