Alber Elbaz, Designer and Former TIME 100 Influencer, Dies of COVID-19

Alber Elbaz, the Casablanca-born Israeli fashion designer favored by such stars as Meryl Streep, died Saturday in Paris. He was 59, and the cause was COVID-19.

The New York Times reports Elbaz's death was confirmed by Richemont, the company that is backing the designer's recently launched brand, AZ Factory.

Elbaz had begun his career in fashion with a 1985 move to NYC with just $800 to his name. Training with Geoffrey Beene, he also worked for Guy Laroche and Yves Saint Laurent.

A transformational fashion director at Lanvin from 2001-2015, he was fired after reviving what had been France's oldest brand, resulting in everyone from Beyoncé to Harry Styles wearing its clothes.

After more than five years away from a high-profile position, Elbaz launched AZ Factory just months ago. In a New York Times profile in January, Elbaz was called "possibly the most adored, most neurotic (most adored for his neuroses) designer in fashion," and quoted him as saying his comeback was more of a "reset." On Sunday, Vanessa Friedman, author of the piece, declared the day of his death, "A black day for fashion — and women."

In 2007, among many other awards and honors, Elbaz was called one of the 100 most influential people on the planet by Time as part of its annual TIME 100 issue. Natalie Portman — with whom we went on to collaborate on her 2016 directorial debut "A Tale of Love and Darkness" — wrote about him, "To me, he's the ultimate fashion philosopher-mentor. He says things to me like, 'Wear flats. You're short. It's much cooler not to pretend.'"

Along with Lanvin and AZ Factory, Elbaz also worked with such brands as Converse, LeSportsac, Acne Studios, Tod's, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, and H&M, and in 2016 became an Officier of the Légion d'Honneur.