Elie Saab has been renovating his brand for some time now, with his latest collection still drawing inspiration from a mixture of Oriental and Western styles, while also featuring predominantly fresher and more Pop culture-approved ensembles. The Elie Saab resort 2017 collection perfectly recalls such changes and experimentations, and fearlessly combines the Lebanese designer’s favorite things in more than forty different looks.
Like Donatella Versace’s resort 2017 collection, Elie Saab’s line-up is navigating both the territories of his signature hallmarks and those of the newest, innovative tendencies, which wrap the bodies with tech fabrics, geometric cut-outs and architectural structures. He dares with bold and vibrant proposals (in every possible way, not only in terms of the color palette used), which still celebrate his elegant evening dressing, yet with a more contemporary attitude. While elegance was at the center of his previous collections, modernity is the focus of this line-up, adding enough zest to the designs, keeping his seasonal line-ups interesting.
Uber-feminine, the Elie Saab resort 2017 collection is overall filled with geometric proportions and flared lines, both when it comes to the structure of the gowns and the sleeves the designer used. While the kimono-inspired sleeves inevitably link the line-up to Saab’s oriental bonds, the floor-length, airy dresses remind us of the designer’s Western-inspired boho style, bringing in romantic, soft proposals that are very dear to Saab’s customers.
Aside from these staples, the line-up quickly hedges in a more day-to-day kind of fashion, making ample usage of crisply contoured pieces, sheer fabrics and textured materials, upon which Saab often embroidered 3D floral appliqués and beaded decorations. To keep up with the modernity-meets-tradition attitude, Saab then combined contemporary versions of his most signature classics, such as the varsity jacket, with dreamlike pieces such as lace dresses, or even totally different volumes like curve-to-curve tight short shorts and kimono jackets.
As soon as we browse through the lookbook, it becomes clear that there was a clear forethought to the proportions, both seen within the separate looks and the collection as a whole. When not baring the legs with either mini hems or high slits, Saab puts the focus on the shoulders, officially exploring the ‘off-the-shoulder trend’ that is all the rage now.
In doing so, he couldn’t shy away from using another trendy, sensual recurring motif: side slits. Elie Saab’s sky-high slits will probably surprise most of you, yet in a positive, exciting way.
Photos courtesy of Vogue
