With its gilded woodwork and view of the Eiffel Tower, the Elie Saab showroom is the quintessential setting for the collections presented within. But seeing these latest Resort looks photographed on a rocky landing overlooking the Mediterranean is likely giving you some serious wanderlust, no? The season’s “Coastal Crossroads” theme had many potential inspiration entry points, and a few of these were explored splendidly. The floral-collage print, apparently nodding to ancient Carthage, made the strongest impact when given maximum surface area, the jet-set caftan strongest of all. And even though it will be months before the collection arrives in stores, many of the showpieces in pigments extracted from Ottoman tiles might already be heading to destinations near and far.
Nonetheless, this remained a rather rarefied crossroads, where taffeta balloon sleeves added even more drama to embroidered gowns and, whether intentional or not, incrustations of lace intersected at crossroads across the body. In this context, Bermuda-style shorts were considered a novelty, as was the tuxedo look from a grouping in metallic green and black jacquard; ideally, the collection would make further inroads here. Comparatively wearable day-to-night dresses in fluid crepe were not specific to the theme; in this way, they almost qualified as basic. As for the saffron-hued gown outlined at the décolleté with metal chain link, it was stunning without any trace of opulence.
