PARIS, Jan 22, 2007/ FW/ --- Elie Saab had this morning two new privileges. For the first time he was showing his couture collection as a “correspondent member” of Paris Haute Couture, a title earned only after many years and efforts to show as an “invited member” of the Paris Chambre Syndicale calendar, and after a vote of the few Paris-based haute couture members. So now, Elie Saab’s house is really ranking with the “crème de la crème” of European designers such as Valentino or Giorgio Armani, the only two other “correspondent members” and called so because their see is not based in Paris, but abroad.

Opening the official calendar for this haute couture season was the second privilege he had this morning and not the least.

First day, first show set the tone for the season and are quite a responsibility for a designer! This place in the schedule had been occupied for years by the former venerable house of Torrente, which unfortunately, has stopped its haute couture and womenswear activities in January 2005.

As Elie Saab seems to have set his Parisian future realm on the former premises of Torrente’s leading boutique and ateliers, this could be the answer to how the idea came up.

In front of a packed audience of many of his couture clients, celebrities like the stunningly beautiful Dita von Teese and the international press, Elie Saab -the only Lebanese designer on the official calendar- held his promises of glamour, luxury and elegance.

His collection seemed to confirm his taste for less flashy looks, more refinement and a sort of airiness that was expressed in shades of faded sky blues, water greens and delicate pinks on muslins and taffeta alike.

His pieces comprising restrictively cocktail outfits and evening dresses could be divided in three sets: embroidery, pleats and prints. If the embroidered pieces are really in the designer’s tradition and match particularly well the taste of his oriental traditional clients, they were nevertheless quite inventive, especially in the lace bolero that came out first and had wonderful puffed sleeves, a miracle of know-how that is not usually seen on Lebanese designers’ runways.

The technicity proven here by the house of Elie Saab makes the difference and shows that it is now, in its own right a “correspondent member”.

The dresses consisting of pleated muslin clearly showed his inspiration for the whole collection: antique Roman goddesses or Greek vestals were sculpturally clad in corseted architecture to reveal and underline their charming curves with the straight lines created by pleats, sometimes enhanced with flounces and knots. Extremely delicate skin is charmingly revealed on many a back in this ode to femininity.

The prints make a statement: allying shades of the same three colours for the season, they add a grey stripe in big patterns to create an unforgettable look, especially in a long dress in sky blue printed organza worn with a sequined belt and a mini bolero of black taffeta.

The bride came in, duly escorted by three girls to hold the 9 meters long train of her mermaid dress and cape in embroidered tulle. Haute Couture is alive and sells, Paris shines, Elie Saab has successfully accessed the highest step of refinement in clothing design.

Elie Saab

Elie Saab

Elie Saab

Elie Saab

Elie Saab

Elie Saab

Elie Saab