Crunchy Con: Alber Elbaz and the power of fashion

I'm not really interested in finding the issue of New Yorker to read the whole article--can someone summarize Elbaz's philosophy? I do think that one should wear clothing that is tailored for his or her body--it is certainly batter than the mass-produced, off-the-rack clothing that comes in generic sizes. But how much innovation is really necessary? And what role, if any, does tradition play in fashion?

Related links:
wiki
New York Look: Spring 2008 - The Show of the Season
Alber Elbaz - The TIME 100 - TIME
ALBER ELBAZ - On the Runway Blog - NYTimes.com
Alber Elbaz Momentarily Ponders Leaving Fashion
How I get dressed: Alber Elbaz