Paris, Jul 14, 2002/ FWD/ --- Oscar winner Halle Barry put the spotlight on Lebanese designer Elie Saab when she accepted her gold statuette sporting one of his flamboyant gowns.

His next couple of couture collections will tell if he is able to maintain his newfound spot in the sun.

His fall/winter Haute Couture collection presented in Paris today, the first since winning the Oscar jackpot, was definitely the right moment for him to shine.

And shine he did, although not without a few blackouts.

The collection was chock full of Saab's signature filigree, tatting flounce and fringe.

He worked with a plethora of materials -- taffeta, leather, lace, fur, feathers, gemstones, suede and velvet -- but the real focus were the embellishments with which almost every piece was laden.

Saab claims his inspiration this season comes from whimsical desert princesses and the Extreme Orient, although hints of the Middle-Eastern beauties that initially put Saab on the fashion map were undoubtedly an influence too.

Saab's woman is ephemeral and serpentine at the same time, as his gowns and pantsuits dance and flow magnificently when powered by a mysterious slither of a stride.

Deep reds and black dominated, though some pieces were splashed with almost every shade of the color spectrum.

Evening gowns were the driving force of the collection -- even some of the pant suits seemed more like dresses with their gathered layers and trains.

One particular asymmetrical black dress was so intricately detailed and embellished that it seemed bursting with color.

A series of dresses and the end of the show, mostly black with shapes of soft colors showing through, are indeed Oscar worthy.

Where the designer went wrong though, was in his use of red velvet for pants and long tight dresses, as the material just looked cheap.

Also, while some of the pants flowed beautifully, others had too much flare.

And sometimes the jewels twinkled too much.

The show finished with a series of five wedding gowns - Saab's preferred item of design - all of them traditional in cream and white, and, like the rest of the collection, intricately layered and bejeweled.

All in all, the collection danced.

And with Saab's tailoring skills, it would be hard to imagine not seeing the other Halles of this world sporting his elegant garb.