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.