Elie Saab’s Couture Escapism Finds a New Edge in Paris

A model wears a creation as part of the Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring- (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
A model wears a creation as part of the Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring- (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
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Elie Saab’s Couture Escapism Finds a New Edge in Paris

A model wears a creation as part of the Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring- (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
A model wears a creation as part of the Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring- (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

The sounds of spring, with babbling brooks and birdsong, set a serene yet surreal tone Wednesday as Elie Saab unveiled his latest couture collection inside the soaring Palais de Tokyo in Paris. It was punctuated only by whoops and clicking camera shutters as Eva Longoria swept in.

While the setting evoked pastoral bliss, the collection was a study in high-drama couture, as Saab’s signature opulence met a new architectural precision.

This season, the Lebanese designer, a red carpet mainstay, tempered his signature cascades of embroidery with an almost armor-like structure. Sweeping architectural flourishes curved around shoulders and hips, recalling the grandeur of Art Deco but with a modern sheen. Geometric bands of sparkles reinforced the sculptural intent, carving out silhouettes that felt more commanding than Saab’s typical fluid romance, The AP reported.

Models emerged on three parallel runways framed by classical white arches, wearing gowns dripping with jewels and embroidered feathers that echoed foliage. The effect was cinematic, an invitation into a world of 1920s glamour — Gatsby decadence reimagined with Saab’s unerring eye for fantasy. But in a world of uncertainty, the excess took on a different weight, a reminder that fashion has long been a glittering escape from reality.

Saab’s touchstone aesthetic — luxurious embellishment, silhouette-flattering cuts and red carpet allure — was intact, but there was an added sense of structure, a couture boldness that gave the collection its edge. The designer has never strayed far from his core of femininity and grandeur, yet here was a whisper of something stronger: a woman draped in fantasy, but armored for the future.



France Fines Shein 40 Million Euros for Misleading Discounts

FILE PHOTO: A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo/File Photo
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France Fines Shein 40 Million Euros for Misleading Discounts

FILE PHOTO: A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view of a Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo/File Photo

France's antitrust agency said on Thursday it had fined China-founded fast-fashion retailer Shein 40 million euros ($47.17 million) for alleged deceptive business practices including misleading discounts, following a nearly year-long probe.

The agency, in charge of consumer protection as well as competition, said Infinite Style E-Commerce Co Ltd, which handles sales for the Shein brand, had misled customers about discounts, and that the company had accepted the fine, Reuters reported.

Under French regulations, the reference price for any discount is the lowest one given by a retailer during the 30 days preceding the offer. Shein infringed that rule by not taking into account previous offers, and sometimes increasing the price before applying a discount, the agency said.

It said its investigation showed the company "deceived consumers about the authenticity of discounts they could benefit from."

The probe, conducted across thousands of products on Shein's French site between October 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023, found 57% of advertised deals were not, in fact, offering a lower price; 19% had less of a discount than advertised; and 11% were in fact price increases.

In a statement, Shein said the antitrust agency had informed Infinite Style Ecommerce Co Ltd (ISEL) of breaches related to reference price and environmental regulations in March last year, and ISEL had taken corrective action within the following two months.

"This means that all identified issues were addressed more than a year ago," Shein said, adding that ISEL was committed to complying with French regulations.