Oscars Fashion Was Back in a Big Way on the Red Carpet Variety 6 hrs ago On Sunday morning, Hollywood awoke to the news of the sudden passing of fashion designer Alber Elbaz, who died at 59 in Paris from COVID-19. The one-time creative director of Lanvin counted Natalie Portman, Kim Kardashian, Meryl Streep and Harry Styles among his A-list fans. But just as the fashion world mourned the loss of an icon to the pandemic — a harsh reminder that the virus is still wreaking havoc across the globe — it simultaneously provided a wondrous, fleeting respite from the realities of the last year in the form of a glamorous, socially distanced red carpet at the 93rd annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon.