Elie Saab, master of fairytale glamour, must have left his magic wand at home this season. Gone were the thousand-and-one-night gowns, the golden shimmer, the embroidery that could outshine a chandelier. Instead, the show opened with Deva Cassel, Monica Bellucci’s daughter, in a slinky khaki pencil skirt and a silk blouse unbuttoned just so, strutting purposefully in stiletto sandals as if she were late for a meeting.
Veils, chiffon twirls and sequin storms were nowhere in sight. In their place: python-print silk trench coats, boyish blazers teamed with wide-leg organza denims, high-waisted Prince of Wales trousers worn with one-shouldered chiffon tops, and beige skirt suits so sharp they could cut through a boardroom meeting.
“I wanted the collection to speak of a courageous woman,” Saab said backstage. “Women are born courageous, I know that, but now the world needs them to be more fearless than ever.” And so, instead of spinning another extravaganza in tulle and gold, Saab turned his attention to real life, or at least his seductive version of it, dressing women not only for the ballroom or some grand princely occasion, but also for more mundane tasks.
The collection may not have been a mirror of his couture fantasies, but it exuded pragmatic glamour nevertheless. Trench coats, however utilitarian , swayed with a sensual fluidity, while evening dresses flirted with restraint, shedding excess drama: short, taut, and finely draped in printed chiffon, they felt more kinetic than queenly. Still, for Saab, pragmatism demands a touch of spark—and always a pair of sky-high stilettos.
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