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)
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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.



H&M Abandons 2024 Earnings Margin Target, Q3 Profit Lags

People walk past a closed H&M clothing store in Omsk, Russia, March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Alexey Malgavko
People walk past a closed H&M clothing store in Omsk, Russia, March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Alexey Malgavko
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H&M Abandons 2024 Earnings Margin Target, Q3 Profit Lags

People walk past a closed H&M clothing store in Omsk, Russia, March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Alexey Malgavko
People walk past a closed H&M clothing store in Omsk, Russia, March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Alexey Malgavko

H&M, the world's second-largest listed fashion retailer, said on Thursday it no longer expected to reach its full-year earnings margin goal, while reporting a lower-than-expected operating profit for the June-August period.

H&M has struggled to boost its profitability amid high inflation and stiff competition from its bigger Spanish rival Zara, owned by Inditex, and the rapid growth of cut-price online fast-fashion retailer Shein.

"At present we estimate that this year's operating margin will be lower than 10%," Chief Executive Daniel Erver said in a statement.

The accumulated margin stood 7.4% for the first three quarters.

The full-year operating margins for 2022 and 2023 were 3.2% and 6.2% respectively, and H&M had cautioned in June that factors such as materials costs and foreign currency had made the 2024 target more difficult to reach.