Elie Saab’s haute couture collection for fall-winter 2023/24 reinterprets the contours of a distant past through a contemporary lens, where magnificence and magic find balance. Cinematic muses and medieval period pieces, such as Cate Blanchett in ‘Elizabeth’ or Marion Cotillard in ‘Macbeth’, star in a scenario of opulence and grandeur.
The ‘Glamour of Yore’, as this haute couture collection created by the Lebanese designer known for his artistic prowess and for dressing famous names in the world of arts, cinema, and royalty—such as Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Emma Watson, Princess Claire of Luxembourg, the Queen of Jordan, or Princess Madeleine of Sweden—reinterpret legends and tales, majestically, in a seductive and delicate manner. These and many other heroines, wise and powerful, sensitive and generous, inspired the creator, and all this ambiance is reflected in each piece, observed in the structured and graceful silhouettes. There are many moments of great complexity that emerge in dazzling moments of jewels like rubies, amethysts, and emeralds, subtly intertwining with draped velvets that conceal depth and density. Tudor rose sequins and flowering branches grow wildly around the neck and sprout from shoulders embraced by a hood in a romantic splendor, always delicate. Shimmering gold and crystal beads converse with braids on corsets that drag sensually in a chiffon mantle.
All textures are luxuriously woven into refined volumes, and each silk thread is a celebration of fleeting beauty.
Dramatic capes of crystallized crepe and velvet dentelle add a layer that is always impressive, enveloping dresses that return the message of charming mystery. Pearls drops and golden bees flow and dance, here and there, in gothic statements. Blush feathers flutter and sway among sequins in playful, almost transparent fantasies. To top off the collection, the bride parades and leaves behind an embroidered trail of plush in a moment of gleaming magnetism. The grand finale!
The Elie Saab haute couture fall-winter 23/24 runway show brings together many pasts and the present in imaginative interpretations of the virtues of beauty. More than moments inspired by glamour, the collection venerates the infinite power of femininity in its most varied and inimitable expressions.
