Vogue magazine said Elbaz "always imbued his work with such joy and put the focus squarely on making individuals feel special".
When he arrived at Lanvin, founded in 1889, it was a small fashion house mainly focused on menswear. Elbaz revived Lanvin and transformed it to focus mainly on women's fashion. His cocktail dresses, many of them featuring heavy zips, were widely praised.
His dresses were favoured by Hollywood actresses, including Natalie Portman. Meryl Streep wore one of his gowns, in gold lamé, when accepting the Oscar for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady in 2012.
Meryl Streep accepting an Oscar in a gown by Alber Elbaz (2012)
IMAGE COPYRIGHTREUTERS
image captionMeryl Streep has worn dresses by Elbaz for some of her biggest moments in the spotlight
"Alber's dresses for Lanvin are the only ones that when I wear them, I feel like myself, or even a better version of her," Streep said in 2015.
Of his time at Lanvin, Women's Wear Daily said, "His elegant, feminine designs and pulse-pounding runway shows... had a carnival spirit".
In an interview in 2014, Elbaz said his vision was of "giving ease to women".
"I said, 'It's all about zip-in and zip-out,'" he recalled.
He was rewarded with many of the fashion industry's top prizes, including an award named for his old mentor, Geoffrey Beene.
In 2016, he was made a member of the French Legion of Honour, the country's most prestigious award.