In feathers and beads, tulle and lace, Elie Saab let his imagination take flight for spring. The very existence of this collection is something of a wonder itself. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, artisans had to work in shifts to complete it. On top of that, Saab’s home of Beirut is still dealing with the aftereffects of the terrible explosion there. Anyone else might have been rattled, but the designer seems to be taking things in stride, reminding this reviewer that he started his career in 1982, during the Siege of Beirut.
Faced with such upheaval, Saab created an escapist fantasy called Le Théâtre du Rêve (Theater of the Dream). Models wore marvelously worked pieces with Belle Époque splendor. On top of that, some looks were accessorized with glittering and plumed headdresses that added an aspect of showgirl glamour to the proceedings. Many pieces featured bold, architectural shoulder details. When combined with the volumes and Saab’s new use of feathers, they read as wings. Dresses predominated, but there were pant looks as well, and the thigh-high boots paired with shorter hems could be mistaken for leggings.
By limiting his palette to white, mauve, and black, Saab kept the silhouettes and embellishments in focus. The designer said he wanted to create something spectacular and signature, and for the most part he did. Hooded capes, including a pink one with sheer embroidered insets, seemed destined for very grown-up and sophisticated fairy-tale heroines.
Speaking about once upon a times, the collection film opens with a small boy who stares at the sky and escapes to the land of imagination. It seems he’s a stand-in for a young Saab. “I tried to remember my childhood,” he explained. “With this virus and all that has happened in Lebanon, I believe we go back to the roots, for the memories.”
With the exception of the dreaming-boy conceit, this wasn’t a time-traveling collection but an escapist one, where dreams for the future can be entertained. Ultimately it was about hope through beauty. And while Saab clearly had his customers in mind, he was also thinking of a higher purpose. “I’d like if you can say that what I present is also always for my country and for…all the children, for the younger generation, to give them a place, a dream,” he stated. “I believe when we present something beautiful, it affects our country and our people a lot, allowing them to feel like there are always beautiful things that survive.”
