Elie Saab Spring 2026 Haute Couture Collection
For Spring 2026 haute couture, Elie Saab leaned fully into gold—both as color and as concept—delivering a collection steeped in 1970s jet-set fantasy. It was a vision of sun-drenched decadence, inspired by a generation that drifted effortlessly between Milos and Marrakech, where glamour was currency and beauty shimmered like bullion.
The palette was unapologetically rich: molten golds, bronzes, and milk-chocolate browns dominated, punctuated by flashes of deep purple. The mood nodded not only to Seventies hedonism but also to the era’s renewed fascination with Art Deco. Geometric beadwork, chevrons, metallic symmetry, and sweeping curves appeared throughout, giving structure to the excess.
Saab’s silhouettes moved between languid and body-skimming. Halter-neck gowns and swimsuit-inspired cuts—echoing 1930s sportswear revived in the ’70s—shared the runway with fluid columns and sharply fitted dresses. Lamé, sequins, and high-shine embellishment were omnipresent, while long beaded scarves, capes, and sleeveless vests added a bohemian ease. Beaded macramé brought tactile depth, expanding the atelier’s decorative vocabulary, while strands of crystals cascaded down bare backs in precise, architectural loops designed to catch the light with every step.
Hair worn in soft, undulating waves recalled Talitha Getty, reinforcing the collection’s jet-set mythology. Animal prints—leopard and tiger—appeared as deliberate provocations, amplifying the sense of indulgence and escape.
Yet the collection’s central theme—freedom, particularly freedom of movement—was not always fully realized. Some gowns were cut so narrowly that models struggled on the runway, undercutting the fantasy. In contrast, looser beaded tanks paired with sweeping skirts or fluid metallic layers felt more in tune with the spirit Saab set out to capture.
