Valentino will doubtless provide, Givenchy possibly too, and there were some options at Dior and Lanvin and Balmain (depending on how you roll). This Paris season, however, has been notable for its relative lack of eveningwear—most especially of the long and lacy variety. Cometh the hour, cometh Elie Saab.
Saab is most definitely going through a reboot. Following last season’s bombers, there were biker jackets in this collection—some encrusted with pretty flower sculptured paillettes, others embroidered with more pretty florals. There was even a lace hoodie, worn above a lace crop top and lace slim-fit jogging pants. Absolutely reasonably, this house is looking to broaden its reach. You saw it too in the heavily fringed, velvet-flecked, ruffle-framed, wide-hatted, and narrowly be-scarved Ladies of The Canyon looks, or the luxe-grunge of his multi-length black fur wraps—a gentle but acutely navigated exploration of rock ’n’ roll imagery. The last two dresses of bead-edged leather panels were an especially effective pitch at dark romance. Only the occasional platform heel and the jarring interjection of a gaudily saccharine purple lace seemed out of time.
Once they have found him, however, the new generation that Saab is looking to tap will stay because he specializes in finely made, riotously embellished dresses to rule the night in. He delivered plenty of them here.
