Elie Saab Captivates Paris Couture with a Fusion of Past and Present

A model presents a creation by Elie Saab during the Women's Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 Fashion Week in Paris on July 5, 2023. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)
A model presents a creation by Elie Saab during the Women's Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 Fashion Week in Paris on July 5, 2023. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)
TT

Elie Saab Captivates Paris Couture with a Fusion of Past and Present

A model presents a creation by Elie Saab during the Women's Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 Fashion Week in Paris on July 5, 2023. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)
A model presents a creation by Elie Saab during the Women's Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 Fashion Week in Paris on July 5, 2023. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)

In the stone cloisters of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs adjoining the palatial Louvre, Elie Saab unveiled his latest collection to a rapt audience of VIPs, including Alicia Silverstone, on Wednesday.

Amid the historic venue, Saab presented a couture show that astounded attendees with its intricate detailing and magnificent silhouettes — and lived up to the venue’s grandeur, The Associated Press reported.

SAAB’S CINEMATIC SIRENS STRUT IN SILK Saab once again affirmed his philosophy: “The code of my collections will always remain the same." Staying true to his glamour-focused ethos, the fall collection saw Saab recraft history’s contours through a modern lens. Drawing inspiration from heroines of period pieces — Cate Blanchett in “Elizabeth,” Charlize Theron in “Snow White and the Huntsman,” and more — Saab reinterpreted these timeless figures.

Complex embellishments, intricate textures, and sparkling jewel tones of ruby, amethyst and emerald danced across gowns, paying homage to the regal, cinematic muses. Medieval symbolism came to life through sequined Tudor roses and flowering branches vining their way up the gowns, melding historical reverence with Saab’s sophisticated artistry.

Dramatic capes of crystalized crepe and velvet dentelle layered atop matching gowns, wrapped in an enigma of enchantment and luxury. Touches of whimsy came to life in pearl drops and gilded bees humming through embroidered foliage, and ethereal gowns with near-transparent sequins in playful fantasies.

Saab has shown once more that while his inspirations may travel through time, the core of his collections — an unflinching commitment to glamour and the celebration of feminine beauty — remains the same. It is this consistency that continues to endear Saab to his clientele.



Gucci Owner Kering Drops 12% as Luxury Braces for Tough Winter

The logo of French luxury group Kering is pictured on the day of the Kering General Assembly meeting at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, May 28. (Reuters)
The logo of French luxury group Kering is pictured on the day of the Kering General Assembly meeting at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, May 28. (Reuters)
TT

Gucci Owner Kering Drops 12% as Luxury Braces for Tough Winter

The logo of French luxury group Kering is pictured on the day of the Kering General Assembly meeting at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, May 28. (Reuters)
The logo of French luxury group Kering is pictured on the day of the Kering General Assembly meeting at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, May 28. (Reuters)

Shares in Gucci owner Kering tumbled 12% on Friday after the group reported further sales declines, but said it would stick with CEO Luca de Meo's turnaround plan and accelerate store closures, aiming for 125 by year-end.

The recovery long promised by luxury brands seems nowhere in sight, as the expansion of war ‌in the Middle ‌East, along with China's tax crackdown on ‌the ⁠wealthy, piled further ⁠pressure on the world's biggest luxury conglomerates in the third quarter, and executives buckled in for a tough winter.

Riots in Paris, leaving Louis Vuitton shop windows smashed and electric-bike bonfires near luxury shopping hub Place Vendome, threw into sharp relief the political risk faced by luxury brands not just abroad but also ⁠at home.

Shares in LVMH and Hermes were ‌also down 1% to 1.5% on ‌Friday, as crude prices hit their highest level since early May, worsening ‌the squeeze on households that has curbed consumers' ability to ‌splurge on handbags and clothes.

Gucci's decline has continued despite de Meo's plan to make the brand's prices more enticing to middle-class consumers and creative director Demna's new collections hitting stores.

"The progress made on ‌improving brand desirability remains in its very early stages," JPMorgan analyst Chiara Battistini said in a ⁠note. Gucci ⁠sales improved in wholesale, but were down 6% overall as fewer shoppers visited its stores.

While Kering struggles to execute a turnaround against a weak economic backdrop, even high-end Hermes is showing signs of slowing, with its ready-to-wear division falling 2% in the third quarter due to weak Chinese demand. Overall, Hermes reported its weakest quarterly sales growth since 2020.

Across the sector, valuations have taken a beating as investors reassess future growth prospects. After a 40% slide in share price since January 1, Hermes' valuation is its lowest since 2014, while LVMH's is at a 10-year low.


UK's Debenhams Returns to Profit after Five Years, Expects Further Cost Cuts

FILE PHOTO: Debenhams logo is seen on smartphone in front of a displayed Boohoo logo in this illustration taken January 25, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Debenhams logo is seen on smartphone in front of a displayed Boohoo logo in this illustration taken January 25, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
TT

UK's Debenhams Returns to Profit after Five Years, Expects Further Cost Cuts

FILE PHOTO: Debenhams logo is seen on smartphone in front of a displayed Boohoo logo in this illustration taken January 25, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Debenhams logo is seen on smartphone in front of a displayed Boohoo logo in this illustration taken January 25, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

British fashion ‌retailer Debenhams , also known as boohoo, reported a profit for the first time in five years on Friday and expects further cost cuts as a turnaround plan gathers pace, said Reuters.

Here are some more details:

-The company reported pretax profit of £28.3 million ($37.89 million) for the six ‌months ended August ‌31, compared to a ‌loss ⁠of £17.9 million a year ⁠ago, its first profit before tax since August 2021.

-Expects to reduce costs related to depreciation, lease and interest in fiscal year 2028, while a new financial ⁠facility should further cut costs.

-Debt ‌to be ‌negligible by the end of the ‌year thanks to the disposal of ‌Sheffield automation and lease assignment and sale of Nasty Gal brand, the retailer said.

-The company reported steady growth ‌in September and reiterated its previous annual forecast of gross merchandise value (GMV) ⁠growth ⁠and adjusted core profit no less than £59 million.

-It expects to deliver more than £100 million in profit before tax in the medium term and become a multi-billion-pound GMV business.

-The group's turnaround plan has been focused on streamlining its operations to tackle mounting debt and slow demand at its youth brands.

 


Gucci's Sales Drop 5% in 3rd Quarter as Weak Chinese Demand Dampens Turnaround Hopes

FILE PHOTO: A model presents a creation from the Gucci Spring/Summer 2027 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Claudia Greco/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A model presents a creation from the Gucci Spring/Summer 2027 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Claudia Greco/File Photo
TT

Gucci's Sales Drop 5% in 3rd Quarter as Weak Chinese Demand Dampens Turnaround Hopes

FILE PHOTO: A model presents a creation from the Gucci Spring/Summer 2027 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Claudia Greco/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A model presents a creation from the Gucci Spring/Summer 2027 collection during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 25, 2026. REUTERS/Claudia Greco/File Photo

Kering on Thursday said sales at its flagship label Gucci fell by 6% in the third quarter, in line with market expectations, as low store traffic in China weighed on the Italian brand's performance, Reuters reported.

Sales at Gucci, which accounts for roughly half of group profits, were down to €1.29 billion ($1.44 billion) in the quarter, Kering said, while total group ⁠revenues fell by ⁠1% when adjusted for currency swings.

Asked by journalists on a call if returning to overall growth was still the aim for Kering this year, finance chief Armelle Poulou declined ⁠to comment, pointing to the publication of full-year results.

Store footfall remains the main problem at Gucci, whose sales have been declining for more than three straight years. Revenues from the brand's own store network were down 9%, Kering said, while wholesale and licensing revenues were up.

Lower-than-expected quarterly sales at peers ⁠LVMH and ⁠Hermes, and signs of cooling demand in the US have added to investors' concerns around Kering's turnaround.

"We keep on carrying out our plan with the utmost discipline,” Poulou said, adding the group has so far reduced its retail network by 105 stores and was targeting 125 closures by the end of the year.