Just ahead of the Elie Saab spring 2025 couture show, the sound of chirping birds filled the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, located on the Left Bank of the Seine. Inside the building, which houses the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings in the world, viewers were transported to an enchanting garden as they were surrounded by artists like Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Camille Pissarro.
Decorated in floral appliqués and glittering beads, Saab’s 2025 couture collection, titled “Portrait of a Dream,” combined craftsmanship, imaginative artistry, and the use of light to explore his world of fantasy. As Joan Smalls opened the show, accompanied by a delicate piano tune, a radiant glow danced through the museum’s corridors, enhancing the sheen of blush pink and champagne-colored silk gowns. The simplicity of the opening dresses was then followed by an array of crystal-embellished gowns that shone with a captivating luminosity and beading that audibly jingled as the models sashayed.
Before long, a black mermaid gown floated down the runway, signaling a mood shift. The music began to swell with a powerful bass, introducing a sweep of sheer gowns in vibrant shades of lime, pastels, and muted grey-silver tones, each adorned with gauzy florals to evoke the essence of a blooming spring. Then, in perhaps the most exciting and unexpected turn, deep blue denim was elevated with a bejeweled touch distinct to Saab couture. Creations like a corseted jumpsuit with an oversized flared leg and a full-length wrapped gown emerged as the music reached a crescendo.
Finally, as the room went almost completely dark, the Elie Saab bride entered wearing the collection’s magnum opus, an embellished, layered tulle gown and a floral headpiece with an attached veil that cascaded into the train. The breathtaking garment was so opulent that workers had to assist with getting the train around the curves of the runway.
As Saab described, each design is meant to be viewed as a brushstroke that makes up the whole of one masterpiece. It is one story, detailing the complexities of the simultaneous strength and delicate femininity of his muse.
Tasha Nicole Smith is ELLE Magazine's beauty assistant. She loves all things hair, makeup, and skincare so you’ll find her talking about it here. She enjoys romcoms, a good pair of vintage heels, and lemon drop martinis and also shares a birthday with Beyoncé, which is her go to fun fact.
