Elie Saab is in an enviable position: he’s dressing not only clients who’ve been on board since the outset, but also their daughters and, now, a new generation that is getting primed to step out into the world. And he has ideas for all of them.
Resort 2027 found the designer dipping back into his archives, mining his icons, riffing on his love for the ’70s, and cherry-picking signatures from across the decades. The corseted bustiers, signature crisscross draping, embroideries, ruffles and lace were all here, but always with a twist—perhaps a lashing of denim, leather or knit. Or maybe a detour into blush-beige and lime tartan.
With a few exceptions, Saab kept lines relatively spare. A portrait neckline raised the bar on a denim jacket. Nominally daywear options—barrel-cut trousers, a couple of pantsuits, a long denim skirt, openwork knits—will work just as well (if not better) after dark. For the party circuit, ’80s signifiers bubbled up, among them bustiers with trailing panels, jangling multi-chain belts and asymmetrical ruffled micro-minis in anise, cream or burgundy.
The standouts, literally and figuratively, played up relief. An aviator in soft black leather was embellished tonally with leaves, knots and flowers. Raffia came worked with ribbons in 3D, or was re-embroidered to look like lace. A silk dress in a watercolor print with floral appliqués seemed to nod to the Impressionists. A tweed-like jacket, made of metallic silk and sequins on a tulle base, was one piece that could be worn by clients of any age. Ditto the latest bags: an east-west clutch and the house’s signature Wave bag, now in black leather with a gold-finish handle.
Saab has built an empire on showstopper gowns, but here he gamely offered a few demure, bias-cut dresses, in blush or ivory. Those looked flattering and will likely speak to the occasional minimalist in his fan base. They could even turn out to be wedding-guest workhorses, but they clearly exist outside the designer’s comfort zone. The column gown in gradient, gray-green fringe was more on-point. In the showroom, that one seemed to blur the lines between Resort and couture.
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