59 posts tagged "Alber Elbaz"
Diamond Girl: Behind the Scenes of Rihanna’s World Tour Wardrobe
When your world tour is called Diamonds, the wardrobe had better sparkle. Luckily, Rihanna had stylist Mel Ottenberg on hand to ensure that her looks do just that. Featuring a total of—count ‘em—seven costumes, each of which was custom made by a megawatt designer (think Riccardo Tisci, Raf Simons, Alber Elbaz, and Adam Selman—Rihanna’s River Island collaborator), the pop star’s onstage wares boast everything from holographs to “orgy” embroidery (courtesy of Givenchy, naturally). “The most amazing thing about Rihanna is what a chameleon she is,” said Ottenberg, who’s worked with Riri for two years. “She’s always up for something new. She’s fearless, she knows what she likes, and it’s fun to see which ideas she’ll jump for.”
The Diamonds lineup begins with a bespoke black Givenchy Couture cape, embroidered coat, shorts, bra, and boots, and ends with a shimmering tailor-made Lanvin jumpsuit. “Riccardo blew it out of the park,” said Ottenberg. “And Givenchy went above and beyond with the level of customization, and dealing with all the pop-world craziness.” (Adding to said craziness was the fact that the entire wardrobe had to be put together in the middle of fashion week.) “And with Lanvin, I knew that, more than anybody, [Alber] would just murder a strong sparkly look to work with the idea of Diamonds.” Each outfit, Ottenberg tells us, plays off creative director Willo Perron’s multi-themed tour concept. For instance, one section, during which Rihanna sings “Rude Boy” and “Man Down,” has a hip-hop-cum-dance-hall vibe. This is where Raf Simons’ graphic oversize T-shirt dress (which is worn with Louboutin boots and a Michael Schmidt nameplate necklace) comes in. For a more rock ‘n’ roll section, Selman created a red-and-yellow leather bra and pants ensemble that’s finished off with white Manolo Blahnik boots. “It was eighties David Lee Roth bouncing around on stage mixed with a sleek Lamborghini/Ferrari situation,” Ottenberg laughs. And Selman’s much-talked-about holographic money-print dress and coat—which Rihanna wears during a rave portion of the show—actually began with a pair of Pierre Hardy sneakers made just for the tour. “The whole thing is very Thug Life Tupac mixed with nineties candy raver,” Ottenberg explained. Forget the music (well no, don’t—it’s pretty great). Rihanna’s tour is a sartorial odyssey not to be missed.
Click for a slideshow of performance snaps and exclusive sketches by Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci, Dior’s Raf Simons, Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz, and Adam Selman.
FIT’s Couture Council to Celebrate Michael Kors
Today, it was announced that Michael Kors will be the 2013 recipient of the Couture Council of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Award for Artistry of Fashion. The designer will join the ranks of previous winners such as Oscar de la Renta (who received the honor last year), Karl Lagerfeld, Dries Van Noten, and Alber Elbaz. Kors, who founded his namesake sportswear label in 1981, will be feted at a luncheon at Lincoln Center on September 4.
Alber Elbaz And Geoffrey Beene, Reunited (Sort Of)
It was announced today that Lanvin’s visionary creative director, Alber Elbaz, will receive the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund’s Geoffrey Beene Fashion Impact Award—an honor that’s likely especially poignant for the designer, given that he began his career working with Beene. “It was a very beautiful relationship over almost seven years,” Elbaz said of his mentor in a 2005 interview with the International Herald Tribune‘s Suzy Menkes. The YMA foundation, a non-for-profit organization that aids over 100 fashion students with scholarships, internships, mentorships, and career programs each year, will present Elbaz with the award at its annual dinner in New York on January 8.

