AZ Factory reveals designers taking part in Alber Elbaz tribute

AZ Factory, the fashion start-up founded by the late Alber Elbaz and Richemont, has unveiled that 44 houses and designers will take part in its ‘Love Brings Love’ fashion show in honour of the late couturier.

The collaborative catwalk show, which will close Paris Fashion Week on October 5, will include an international list of designers, ranging from names helming historic houses, to those with their own eponymous labels, as well as a host of emerging talent.

Key names include Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton, Ralph Lauren, Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing, Stella McCartney, Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, Gucci’s Alessandro Michele, Jonathan Anderson for Loewe, Giambattista Valli, Burberry’s Riccardo Tisci, Giorgio Armani and Virgil Abloh of Off-White.

As well as emerging talent including Simone Rocha, Christopher John Rogers, Rosie Assoulin, Grace Wales Bonner, Chitose Abe of Sacai and Thebe Magugu.

Designers including Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani and Stella McCartney to pay tribute to Alber Elbaz during PFW

Completing the line-up is Pieter Mulier of Alaïa, Demna Gvasalia of Balenciaga, Daniel Lee of Bottega Veneta, Charaf Tajer of Casablanca, Gabriela Hearst of Chloé, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, Dries Van Noten, Kim Jones of Fendi, Matthew Williams of Givenchy, Guo Pei, Nadège Vanhée-Cybulski of Hermès, Iris Van Herpen in collaboration with Adobe, Jean Paul Gaultier, Bruno Sialelli of Lanvin, Nicolas Ghesquière of Louis Vuitton, Raf Simons, Rick Owens, Anthony Vaccarello of Saint Laurent, Daniel Roseberry of Schiaparelli, Thom Browne, Tomo Koizumi, Pierpaolo Piccioli of Valentino, Donatella Versace of Versace, Guram Gvasalia of Vetements, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren of Victor and Rolf, Vivienne Westwood and Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood, and Glenn Martens of Y/Project.

Each designer will provide a look for the occasion, a “bespoke creation inspired by Alber’s legacy or a special take on an iconic silhouette,” explains AZ Factory in a statement.

The show’s concept will take inspiration from the Théatre de la Mode, a 1945 Parisian exhibition that united French couturiers as a beautiful expression of creativity, prestige, and solidarity in the wake of World War II.

The uplifting story was a fascination of Elbaz, explains AZ Factory, and the designer, who sadly died from Covid-19 in April, had always dreamt of uniting his fashion family for a new, modern iteration of Théatre de la Mode for today.