Alber Elbaz unveils visual identity of new brand AZ Factory

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Nov 18, 2020

Alber Elbaz has unveiled the visual identity and logo of his new fashion house AZ Factory, one of the most keenly anticipated launches in fashion today.

 
In a quirky release, Elbaz also confirmed that he will launch the project – which is backed by the giant luxury group Richemont - in January 2021.
 
“I am so happy and very much looking forward to an exciting launch in late January,” said Elbaz in a release.

“We design beautiful, solutions-driven fashion that works for everyone. It is a reset, it is the birth of a Factory. A digital luxury brand based on innovation, technology, and, above all, a place to experiment and try new ideas,” Elbaz added.
 
His new visuals capture the wry wit for which he was known at his previous position as creative director of Lanvin, where from 2001 to 2015 he established himself as one of the half dozen most influential designers in the world. A round logo face with no mouth but smiling eyes that mimic the designer’s signature intellectual glasses is also featured among the phrase Albert & Amigos. The same name turns out to be the “consumer experience program” of his www.azfactory.com website.
 
“We are built around the core ideas of love, trust, and respect. We speak to our clients as we do with friends. Because we care,” added Elbaz. 

Since he was fired in a legendarily unwise management decision by Lanvin five years ago, the Israeli-raised Elbaz has kept a relatively low profile – with just a few collaborations, most notably with two collections of bags and shoes for Tod’s called Happy Moments. This year, however, the 59-year-old designer has been busy working from new offices in Montparnasse, inside the Cartier Foundation, the luxury jeweler that is Richemont’s single largest brand.
 
Elbaz also set up AZ Factory accounts on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn. Each featured the same message: “This is a reset from @alberelbaz8. This is the birth of a Factory. Our Story, Our Stories.”

 
On his own Instagram account, Elbaz has been sharing images of his personal yoga trainer; Parisians packing shopping carts with large quantities of wine and a visit to the opening of the Cindy Sherman retrospective in the Louis Vuitton Foundation where he mugs for selfies with the artist – his one trip to a museum in the past six months.
 
Though financed by the very deep pockets of Richemont, Elbaz has promised that his new house will be a “dynamic and innovative start-up, built to transform dreams into reality.” 
 
As reported by FashionNetwork.com, Elbaz has also hired the former CEO of The Webster, Laurent Malecaze, to be his new CEO for AZ Factory. 
 
“What’s next? Wait and see...” concludes the designer in Tuesday’s release. As indeed millions of followers and fashionistas will worldwide.