Alber Elbaz is worried about fashion

Photography by Peter Stigter
Photography by Peter Stigter

This past week, Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz addressed UNESCO’s World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries as the voice of fashion. Elbaz argued that fashion is in a state of crisis due to the lack of desire to hone in on craft skills. The gist: Know anyone dying to become a tailor? Neither does he. Elbaz blames the Internet as the fuel behind the glamorization of modelling and the next generation’s aspiration to “Be famous, and do it really, really fast.” But it’s not all silk satin and sequins–Elbaz cites long hours and constant creative ingenuity as the key to working in the business while noting that designers are “only as good as [their] next collection–in other words, [they have] no credibility at all.” [WWD]

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