Elie Saab: Great occasions with a sci-fi eastern touch

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Jul 3, 2019

There can be few better couturiers to turn to than Elie Saab when the time comes to celebrate important moments in life.
 
Weddings, awards, key anniversaries all can elegantly be rejoiced in his fashion, the latest examples of which were on display in Paris on a sunny Wednesday morning.

 
On the final day of runway shows in the five-day Paris couture season, Saab took his tony audience to the Palais de Tokyo, the deliberately unrestored 1930s exhibition space providing an ideal juxtaposition for Saab’s finely finished clothes.
 
This season, Elie concentrated on what he does best: classy gowns finished with meticulous embroidery. And for this collection he injected a clever Asian touch.

With Ryuichi Sakamoto’s theme to The Last Emperor wafting out of huge speakers, Saab sent out kimono jackets cut with trains; cutaway red carpet silk robes with giant bows worthy of Rita Hayworth and a heroic peak-shouldered midnight blue silk jacket with Chinese folkloric embroidery.
 
Happily, the Phoenician couturier broke new ground with some smart dissections: multiple dresses completed with Lonsdale-style belts and bold metallic  gold bands paired with rich fabrics. Seen even in the faintly sci-fi finale – galactic princesses at a space colony wedding with giant faille collared gowns.
 
In short, a superb collection for dazzling wedding, which come to think of it, must be on Elie’s mind. His eldest son, Elie Jr., ties the knot with his beautiful fiancée this summer.