Haute couture: Elie Saab celebrates ‘The Birth of Light'

Fashion label Elie Saab revealed its spring/summer 2017 haute couture collection in the French capital's Pavillon Cambon Capucines, January 25. The show's theme was "The Birth Of Light," designed as a veritable ode to princesses, dressed in fluid, sheer, floaty gowns.

The Lebanese designer opened a new chapter in his haute couture version of the Thousand and One Nights, showing a series of dresses each more majestic than the next. This season, elegance and femininity were conveyed through materials rather than volumes, with fluid and transparent fabrics in shades of pastel pink and blue, cobalt blue, nude and gold.

To the rhythm of the music, a series of jewel-encrusted dresses, embroidered with gemstones, crystals, sequins and other opulent details, graced the runway, showcasing the expertise of the label and its atelier. As well as jewels, feathers sometimes covered dress sleeves or collars, accentuating the softer side of the collection's silhouettes.

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Femininity and sensuality were firmly on the agenda at Elie Saab. Only a handful of dresses had revealing necklines, but skirts had deep slits, showing flashes of upper thigh. 

As for accessories, the catwalk shone with jewelry, accompanying the various shimmering embellishments on the label's clothing creations. Gold rings and earrings reflected the elegance of the collection's silhouettes. Bracelets were worn on hands, arms and wrists, while belts sat like items of jewelry around models' waistlines. 

While the majority of models took to the runway with wide headbands in their hair, and sometimes with round glasses, certain models wore delicate tiaras, nodding to their 'princess' status.