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Alber Elbaz, the designer who elevated the fashion house Lanvin during his tenure as creative director, died Saturday in Paris of COVID-19. He was 59.

His death was confirmed on Sunday by Johann Rupert, chairman of the luxury goods company Richemont, who said Elbaz "had a richly deserved reputation as one of the industry's brightest and most beloved figures. I was always taken by his intelligence, sensitivity, generosity, and unbridled creativity."

Elbaz got his start working with Geoffrey Beene in 1985, and served as the creative director at Lanvin from 2001 to 2015. In 2019, he co-founded with Richemont a company called AZ Factory, which makes "smart women's fashion by blending traditional craftsmanship with technology," Reuters says.

Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, and Kate Moss were among Elbaz's fans, and Meryl Streep donned one of his original designs to the 2012 Academy Awards, where she won the Best Actress Oscar for The Iron Lady.