Spring was certainly in the air at Elie Saab, where hillocks of wildflowers dotted the runway and models’ faces were accented with tiny, real buds like “floral piercings,” as they were referred to backstage. But for all the lavish and dimensional embroideries of bouquets and blossoms, the main message seemed more to do with applying Old Hollywood glamour to our contemporary interest in lingerie dressing. You need only glance at the first six looks with their musings on bustiers and bralettes; on falling straps and midriff frills—deshabillé the Elie Saab way.
Backstage, the couturier expressed his satisfaction with the response to his H&M collaboration that was released exactly a month ago. He noted how this ready-to-wear collection materialized from revisiting 1930s femininity—as though transferring actress Jean Harlow’s boudoir beauty to today. Slip dresses assumed several forms: body-grazing and covered in beads; incrusted with lace and topped with a leather jacket; asymmetric and cut high up the leg. There were silky dresses in Easter pastels gracefully cut on the bias, and a rose-tinted animal print capturing a ’90s vibe that Paris Hilton, who attended the show, would have recognized. Small leather bows underscored the bra-like theme, while layering the lingerie added up to looks that could be worn beyond the bedroom. In any case, whether these numbers end up on the red carpet or at destination weddings, they will read unabashedly flirty.
One of the noticeable aspects of an Elie Saab show is the randomized order of the looks, such that a diaphanous, ombré gown might appear early in the run of show followed by a jacket and shorts in champagne rose satin; or a black corset and tailored pants will give way to a lacy lime confection. When a lineup is so bombshell, a more subdued counterpoint is always welcome. Look 31 featuring an elegant trench and Look 42 emphasized a more streamlined silhouette that made a case for less (lingerie)-is-more.