LEBANESE DESIGNERS AT PARIS FASHION WEEK
Dubbed Splendor in the Sun, Elie Saab’s spring/summer 2022 collection was presented as a 12-minute video. Filmed in the grounds of Paris’s Hotel Potocki, a former residence of Polish nobility, it was a relatively paredback offering from the man best-known for his embellished fairytale gowns, and intended, Saab said, “for a new generation of women”. An initial smattering of bold prints, consisting of interlocking lower-case Es, made way for crisp white shirt dresses, crocheted shorts and macrame lace sundresses, all paired with oversized sunglasses, flat sandals and beaming smiles. Tiered column dresses offered delicate plays on transparency, while white tunic tops with delicate gold detailing around the midriff were paired with wide-legged trousers. It felt fun, carefree and comfortable, but also, in Saab’s trademark style, impeccably crafted. An injection of colour came midway through the show, with one-shouldered flowing dresses in bold shades of orange and citrus green. Pretty pleats, asymmetric hemlines and painterly floral motifs built on the idea of effortless style. Structured strapless dresses with fitted bodices and voluminous midi-length skirts shimmered in shades of green and red, and evening dresses were fitted with billowing sleeves and capes, and slits that extended almost to the hip. Saab’s trademark embellishments made an appearance towards the end, on glimmering wraparound dresses with plunging necklines, and floor-length gowns in ivory and midnight blue.
Maison Rabih Kayrouz
To present his spring/summer 2022 collection, Lebanese designer Rabih Kayrouz took us behind the scenes of a fun-filled fashion shoot, starring a model dancing to the beats of Raffaella Carra’s 1979 hit Rumore, in a gold gown, duvet-esque dresses, high-waisted shorts and layers of denim. Structure and volume reigned supreme, whether in the form of billowing sleeves or oversized capes, serving as a reminder that Kayrouz is a master at manipulating materials. In a poem shared on Instagram with the video, the designer described a woman who takes her suitcase and flies away, prepared for any situation: “To walk through foreign streets / To venture forth on a safari / To dance under the stars / Her bag contains every key piece.”