Once upon a time, an Elie Saab tracksuit would have been unexpected, to say the least. But the Lebanese designer has been endeavoring to expand his repertoire of late, with an eye to new flagships opening in London and New York within a year. So, yes, there was a tracksuit in his latest Resort lineup, but Saab hasn’t necessarily forsaken his dressmaker roots. It was a tracksuit in lace. If the merits of such a thing are debatable, there were other brand extensions that came out quite well. Among them was a wine-color stretchy knit dress with graphic insets of lace and a zip-up front, and a dressy T-shirt emblazoned with a Lurex-shot bloom.
The use of pattern and print is one key way Saab is stretching. He still loves his solid colors for high evening dresses, and there was no shortage of them in this large collection, but the noteworthy pieces had a streamlined, almost minimalist cut about them and were covered in lush, painterly flower prints. Densely embroidered party dresses also looked new. Saab has built his career on embroideries, it’s true, but typically they’re of the tone-on-tone shine and shimmer variety. Rarely, if ever, has he been so exuberant with his use of colorful beads. The eveningwear’s Pop sensibility might surprise Saab’s longtime clients, but he’s got his eye on new ones, and he’s likely to find a few with those special beaded numbers.
