Elie Saab presented his Fall/Winter 2020 Haute Couture collection today via a beautiful digital presentation set in Lebanon. It was a tribute to his home country, in particular the city of Beirut, a place that he will always call home.. Finding such beauty at times of crisis is what we all need at the moment.
“The beauty of Beirut is beyond words. Suspended somewhere between fantasy and reality, the city is a feeling, an experience, a lasting impression.” Said the show notes to this virtual presentation.
The essence of Beirut and its strength is represented in every silhouette he materializes and in every eternal woman he celebrates. Elie Saab designs with the city, its vibrant cultural imaginary and its rich artistic heritage in the forefront of his mind.
Unveiling this Exclusive Haute Couture Collection in the aftermath of the devastation that recently befell the Lebanese capital was key for the designer. He owes Beirut a defiant act of hope.
Only too familiar with the instability of loss as a Lebanese, the couturier intuitively knows the strength in being able to lace together realities that inspire the imagination. In this whimsical new collection, he invokes the courage and strength that allows Beirut to triumph over and over again.
In a time when humanity is forced to slow its rhythm, Saab decided to take a moment to find root in the soothing pace of nature. The Lebanese designer calls on the renewing energies of the elements to bring into being an enchanted world that endlessly blossoms and forever blooms.
Inspired by the soft colour palettes of a celestial sunrise, rich textures from the bounties of the earth and lines of calm flowing waters, Saab presents a collection of beautiful divinities that embody the essences of his most beloved Beirut.
Delicate whispering blues, blush pink muslins, glistening muted golds of the effervescent sun, gentle green of the undergrowth, create a colour palette of romance and femininity.
Like a subtle silk thread of morning mist, the elegant models gradually emerge, playing hide and seek between the transparency and shadow of organza trees. They are free to move and dance in organic silhouettes, exploring the vibrancy they are a part of as they transform and flourish. Some take flight as airy feathered wings catch the soft breeze while others cascade into landscapes of embroidered tulle.
The iridescent bride shimmers in the tones of renewal, mirroring the enchanted wood over which she reigns. In her gentle armour of silver strength, her feet barely touching the earth as she gracefully glides forward, courageously illuminating a trail into the foliage.
Everything in this world seems fantastical and unreal, yet it is all so realizable. This is Elie Saab’s intent, to paint a path onward, a way for his Beirut to shine forward. For it is the ability to dream that gives breath to hope, to a future full of possibilities.
