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.



Italy's Antitrust Opens Probe into Shein over Environmental Claims

FILE PHOTO: People walk past an advertisement for Shein, March 8, 2024 in London, Britain. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People walk past an advertisement for Shein, March 8, 2024 in London, Britain. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett/File Photo
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Italy's Antitrust Opens Probe into Shein over Environmental Claims

FILE PHOTO: People walk past an advertisement for Shein, March 8, 2024 in London, Britain. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People walk past an advertisement for Shein, March 8, 2024 in London, Britain. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett/File Photo

Italy's antitrust agency has launched an investigation into Dublin-based Infinite Styles Services CO. Limited, which manages the Italian website of Shein, over possible misleading environmental claims on the website.
The company is seen as trying "to convey an image of production and commercial sustainability of its garments through generic, vague, confusing and/or misleading environmental claims," Italy's antitrust said in a statement.
Some of the information on the clothing collection 'evoluSHEIN', declared by the company to be sustainable, could mislead consumers about the amount of green fibres used, while also failing to inform them about the fact the garments cannot be further recycled, Reuters quoted the authority as saying.
Italy's antitrust also said that Infinite Styles Services CO. Limited appeared to emphasize its commitment to the decarbonization process, while the targets indicated on Shein's website appear to be contradicted by the increase in greenhouse gas emissions indicated in Shein's sustainability reports for 2022 and 2023.
A Shein spokesperson did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Founded in China, Shein is known for its cheap tops and dresses. Its treatment of workers and environmental record have come under increased scrutiny.