The Nirvana classic "Come as You Are" soundtracked today's Elie Saab show. But this was no grunge change of heart for the Lebanese couturier. Saab is hosting a party tonight to celebrate the opening of his second boutique in Paris. His tried-and-true formula of floor-scraping, mostly diaphanous dresses embroidered in varying degrees with beads, sequins, and appliqués is working well for him. From season to season, novelty has come from the color palette. This time around he worked mostly in shades of gold, inspired, as his notes explained, by his early work in the 1990s. His wife walked down the aisle in a golden wedding gown of Saab's creation 25 years ago this July 4.
Beyond the flattering golden hues (preferable to the jewel tones he also employed), what distinguished this Saab collection from other ones was the generally light touch he used with embellishments and a mood that was often more innocent than va-va-voom. One of the freshest dresses paraded out on low-heeled velvet sandals, with a hemline raised insouciantly a couple of inches above the ankles. Another silhouette that surprised was a tunic and a pair of narrow trousers topped by a sleeveless coat, its shoulders ringed in bands of fur. Saab should consider exploring both of these new directions in the future. Elsewhere, the dresses felt more familiar, but if the show suffered from repetition, there were a few beauties. Two gowns in particular—one halter style, the other with thin chain-link shoulder straps—were embroidered with gold metal flowers in such a way that they shimmered like Klimts.
