If there was anyone who would have the guts to do an all-white couture show after the stunner that was Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel Haute Couture show last January, it would be Elie Saab.
Saab’s ready-to-wear collections are usually delightful, but it’s with couture that the designer really shines.
It was unusual for Saab, but the collection started with a lengthy series of short dresses featuring a mix of stiff, geometric surface accents and lightly draped fabrics.
The touches on the dresses were truly remarkable, such as sparkle and feathers. They all had a light, angelic feel but were also hip, skewing to a younger demographic than the long evening wear we are used to seeing from the red carpet-staple designer.
As we saw with Armani’s Prive collection, jumpsuits don’t seem to be going anywhere for the time being.
Saab showed a white beaded jumpsuit, again furthering the idea that this is a new, younger direction for the Lebanese designer.
It seems clear that Saab must have been inspired by Lagerfeld’s critically-lauded collection of last season, however – especially when a two piece look with a petal-adorned headpiece made its way down the runway. Is it too soon for this, one might ask (especially when there was no overt acknowledgment of any influence)? Should Lagerfeld be flattered? Or was Saab just having a white moment? Had he planned for something like this all along?
Of course, as of yet, we don’t know, but there is certainly some awkwardness involved in this collection given some of the similarities.
That said, possible Lagerfeld-influences aside, Saab truly delivered (as he almost always does) an impeccably ethereal collection with faultless constructions complete with the most intricate details. These were all true to Saab’s signature aesthetic.
There were a number of pieces that will surely pop up all over the red carpet in the months to come. However, given Lagerfeld’s honest and blunt nature, one has to wonder what we can expect the designer to say in the coming days in response to this collection…
Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
