Let’s start by explaining who’s Elie Saab!
Born in 1964 in Lebanon, Elie Saab is a self-taught fashion talent. His interest in dressmaking started at the young age of 9, already making clothes for his sisters! At just the age of 18, he opened his couture atelier in Beirut and few years after he presented his first collection to a public of women and his reputation rapidly transcended Beirut’s borders, attracting women from high society who desired an Elie Saab dress.
Elie Saab
Invited by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute-Couture to show in Paris in 2000, he presented four collections a year (Haute Couture and Ready to Wear) and six years later became a corresponding member. In 2007, he set a flagship boutique in the heart of Le Triangle d’Or.
Elie Saab magnifies femininity working with fine materials, delicate embroideries with outstanding quality. He builds his fairytale creations using simple designs, precious resources, whilst always maintaining a form of sophistication. Elie Saab dazzles with his intricate detail and strong sense of beauty. His specialty is the ultimate dress that highlights a woman’s silhouette.
The Ready to Wear SS20 collection
It’s quite a long time now that I admire Elie Saab’s work. That’s a little spoiler to inform you that I will be biased in my fashion review. The way he plays with colors and sequins it’s eye-catching and wonderful. I remember some collections ago, while watching the show I said “I wanna get married with one of his dresses.” Fun fact: I was watching to a Ready to Wear collection, not the Haute Couture. This is remarkable because it highlights how even his RTW collections are elegant and feminine. The “everyday” collection can be turned into a special day collection.
The new collection is moving away from the usual princess gowns and sunset colors. Elie Saab, in creating the new looks, has taken inspiration from the African landscape with turbans and breezy caftans, and a color palette featuring more block colors than sunset shades. Long necklaces and big earrings as accessories, to turn the “simple” dress even more sophisticated. A really oversized shirt becomes a dress with dizzying slits and the lace is never forgotten.
The designer plays with leather and raffia bags, and fringes! Have you ever seen them in Elie Saab collection? The Safari look includes soft savannah colors and metallic details. That’s the only negative point in Elie Saab’s collection… do people really do safaris dressed like this? I don’t think so. Maybe, the name of the collection don’t really respect the reality of the realization, way more chic and elegant, as Saab standards usually are.
The high heels are a really strong feature in the overall collection, they are present in each look, as well as belts that highlight the waist. That’s definitely a counter-trend of mules and sneakers of the later years’ fashion shows. As well as the use of oversize and baggy structures. The presence of the belts and the shaping of the dresses remark his strong will to remain the Elie Saab as always. In some looks, he plays with a short and long skirt – a game already seen in the last few years, in my opinion. He added new graphics, playful prints and floral prints with raffia bags.
Each look is emphasized by a natural make-up and a hair up hairstyle. and natural make-up. A choice that I like. It highlights, even more, the elegance and the “simplicity” of the looks. Silky and fluttering dresses, you can almost feel that they are light as plumes, ready to dress you like a second effortless chic skin. Some of them kind of reminds me of a Greek goddess influence.
In all this Elie Saab doesn’t forget his origins and still presents tulle dresses with long lines of sequins and bows or puff or structured sleeves and see-through games. Definitely his signature.
My favorite looks of the collection.. I must admit I prefer the princess gown dresses, but without these chocking accessories!
All images are from Pinterest
