“ Fashion is an expression of the times. Elegance is something else again”. Elie Saab
A last minute postponement of the Ann Demeulemeester show offered an opportunity to attend the Élie Saab show held at the Palais du Tokyo in Trocadéro. I was excited about this change of plans because I love his work and his back story. Very early in my career, I worked in a couture bridal boutique and Saab’s first designs were bridal gowns, so I have a great respect for his talent working with delicate, high-end fabrics and the many embellishments he adds such as crystals, gemstones, pearls and detailed embroidery.
His creations are definitely within the category of fine art (see Louvre Couture blog).
Born near Beirut, Lebanon (1964), Saab began to create and sew dresses for his sisters at age nine, showing a true talent for design. Beirut is called the “Paris of the Middle East” despite its long, bloody civil war (1975-1990). It is difficult to imagine, but Saab founded his couture bridal fashion house in 1982 at the height of the devastation and chaos. However, by 1997 his reputation for elegance, exquisite details and construction was such that he was invited to show at the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, where he was instantly recognized a talented and important designer.
Knowing this background history, I had high expectations for the show. I was not disappointed! Another unusually brillant, crisp day in February had spirits high. Outside the entry to the show skateboarders presented a bit of a “dodge ‘em” challenge — it it added an amusing contrast to the elegantly dressed attendees! Once inside, the almost cavernous space was made warm by the many welcomes expressed by the Saab team. The seating was formed by long, black benches back-to-back and ran the length of the space, forming a long runway for the models and giving everyone a good view. My seat was a particularly good one at the end of the row where the models entered and exited.
As the guests arrived, many wearing either current couture or ready-to-wear Saab designs, we compared outfits and accessories with the giddy excitement of little girls playing dress up. The space quickly filled and when everyone was seated, the show began – not with a “bang,” but a long “hiss” from the fog machine at the far end.
This was the very embodiment of an iconic fashion show. Long legged, lean models, hair sleekly pulled back, glided around the entire room, hips swinging fluidly with each crossed leg step — in very high heels! And, Oh! Ahh! Wow! What beautiful creations! Sequined and bejeweled dresses and diaphanous skirts paired with furs and knits so effortlessly worn, one is simply transported to another world. One not inhabited by the current trend of slouching women in sloppy clothes with messy, uncombed hair affecting ennui. No, inside Élie Saab’s world all is beauty, grace, elegance and confidence. He himself has said : “ In a world of trends, I want to remain a classic.” Goal achieved!
To see his haute couture up close or to wear his ready-to-wear, as I was, is to understand why he dresses a long list of celebrities, royals and prominent women in leadership: Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez even Taylor Swift. Others on the world stage include Queen Rania of Jordan, Princess Sophia of Sweden, and First Lady of Turkey, Ermine Erdogan, to name only a few of his many enthusiastic followers.
The world is often coarse and divisive. Élie Saab’s arresting and stunning garments allow us to remember there is beauty and grace to be found in this world — perhaps especially where we least expect it to develop and flourish. His ongoing legacy of achievement in the face of adversity is an inspiration to us all — a gift.
It is a given that most of us have neither the wherewithal nor the need for his couture creations, but we can be inspired by them to put a little more grace and elegance into our Purely Personal style and elevate our spirits and of those around us.
Thank you, Élie Saab!
