Text by Mark Benjamin
Elie Saab: a name that resonates from Beirut to Paris, synonymous with visionary talent and couturier excellence. A gift to anyone with a discerning eye for fashion, Saab has become a luminary in the industry, his artistry transcending geographical boundaries and elevating haute couture to new heights. This season, it is Saab who emerges as the couturier to envy and emulate. His Fall 2024 couture collection, aptly titled “An Enchanted Serenade,” transcends the superlative-laced fashion media, presenting a pure form of entrancing shape and exquisite detail that speaks to his unwavering vision and extraordinary skill.
Crafted with luxurious materials including lace, satin, velvet, organza, ostrich plume, sequins, and tulle, this is a collection that honors a traditional atelier while pushing boundaries. The opening look: a riveting off-the-shoulder, floor-length trumpet dress with a satin ribbon bust elegantly criss-crossed with a continued piece of fabric forming the waist. Paired with full-length leather gloves, this design sets a refined and opulent tone. The matte reflective finish of the leather gloves, complemented by the satin details, is followed by several striking black renditions with glimmering embroidery, setting the mood for this ascendant collection.
A standout design is Look 6, a black wool blazer with a satin ruffle sculpture that evolves quite literally out of the jacket’s natural line of the shoulder. The look extends below into a matching black high-slit tulle floor-length skirt. The sleeve features an ornate and detailed laced section of the forearm, cutaway and jeweled, evoking contrasts between the austerity of a masculine blazer and the feminine intimacy of lace.
The collection’s playful musings on light are endless and mesmerizing. Bejeweled dresses and labor-intensive embroidery details leave one with a gasping sense of wonder and appreciation. A dress fit for a storybook, Look 10, features a sheer black full-length gown adorned with intricate, dark floral embellishments that cascade from a densely decorated bodice to a more sparsely embellished skirt, creating a magical, nocturnal garden effect on the wearer. This ethereal concept appears again to an even greater effect in Look 12 as an elongated form: a stunning full-length gown with a high neck, long sleeves, and a cascading array of colorful embellishments on a sheer black overlay.
Elie Saab not only celebrates light for Fall 2024 but also continues his legacy as a designer of movement. This is perhaps no more apparent than in his flowing, ethereal gowns. Their otherworldly quality transgresses the sculptural as one design, Look 14, cascades a garden of multicolored blossoms which dance around the body so gracefully it feels as if the dress is propelling the model forward, down the catwalk. The one-shoulder silhouette and dramatic high slit add to the sense of fluid motion, creating a mesmerizing interplay of fabric and form.
While there are many noteworthy details throughout this collection, one showstopper stands out. In a gesture that could redefine the red carpet, a glimmering golden off-the-shoulder floor-length gown with a subtle mermaid silhouette, Look 55, draws inspiration from nature. Golden floral arrangements at the top cascade into slender tree-like stems formed by dozens of shimmering beads, flowing into another floral thicket at the waist before descending into a million golden limbs that stretch and reach out to meet the floor. They continue to drape and grasp the ground like roots on this marvelous arboretum of a dress. Simply stunning.
Fall 2024 for Elie Saab marks a legacy taking hold. For the fashion world, it’s a resplendent moment where traditional fashion design eclipses all expectations, once again. Elie Saab reminds us of the strength of integrity in fashion design and the triumph of details over gimmicks. While the collection is undoubtedly impressive, one might wonder if any of these exquisite pieces could translate to ready-to-wear or if they will remain purely in the realm of haute couture fantasies.
Ultimately, this is a collection well deserving of applause, as memorable as the feeling this show evokes. The fashion world thanks you, Elie Saab, for this enchanting serenade of couture.