Elie Saab has unveiled its latest haute couture collection in whimsical film dedicated to the heart and hometown of the fashion house: Beirut. Despite being devastated by the explosion last month, and still suffering from the crippling fallout of Covid-19, the label is determined to carry on and continue to adapt with the times. “Like many Lebanese, we have witnessed wars and endured chaos and displacement, but we are resilient and will continue our journey to make Beirut rise again,” said the Lebanese-born couturier, Elie Saab, who was raised in Beirut’s coastal suburb of Damour. “Our beloved Beirut has suffered many times, but we never gave up and will never stop rebuilding it again to shine. It remains untainted in our hearts and a vibrant energy that is destined to stay alive.”
This resilient spirit sits at centre of the house’s new couture collection, which is entitled ‘Beirut, The Sacred Source.’ Drawing from the essence of the city and the renewing energy of nature, the line is bursting with big-energy skirts scattered with sequins, sheer sleeves that flow to the forest floor, extravagantly embroidered dresses that glisten under the sun and structured jumpsuits with capes that curl dramatically over the shoulders. Adorned in palette of pale pastels — soft blues, hazy sherbets, blush pinks, pistachio greens and faint peaches — the collection offers a sartorial fantasy of tulle, silk and chiffon, at a time when dressing-up is still largely on hold.
Faraway from the current destruction in Lebanon’s capital, the collection was captured in an enchanting forest that dared viewers to dream and focus on serenity, peace and hope as models emerged from a futuristic mirrored cube and stepped into the flora. The ethereal gowns and fantastical forms proved that Elie Saab is not giving up and the beauty of Beirut can continue to shine.
