Be still, my beating heart – here I stand vulnerable to your loss at the hands of the Elie Saab Spring 2021 collection.
What a work of theatre, what awe-inspiring magnificence was conceived in the mind of this genius. To look upon these pieces is to peer through the looking-glass into another world. I am no critic of fashion, I understand little of the jargon expected of one who wishes to review the ways in which fabric is draped over the bodies of giraffe-necked women, but I like to think I am able to recognize a glimmer of magic when it is thrust in my lap.
Mr. Saab has certainly created magic, in every sense of the word.
Those who are ardent connoisseurs of fashion are often critiqued as being shallow, vain, or petty – people without meaningful passions or goals, and who are lacking in profundity of thought. Such denunciation I will never understand, for it is only the heartless who can look upon these gowns without being affected both physically and emotionally. Mr. Saab’s collection halts all normal functions of the brain, capturing with guileful mystery our attentions as the air flees our lungs and our hearts drop in a moment of awe. To design and construct these pieces requires a level of brilliance far beyond what most of us possess, and for my part, I feel I must extend a sincere thank-you to the artists for gifting to the masses creations so exquisite.
Mr. Saab’s works do not belong to this world, but to a land in which drama, elegance, and mystery reign supreme. His models walk with the same juxtaposing energy as is conveyed by his collection – that which is both ostentatious and muted, sensual and genteel, delicate and powerful. This collection is a love letter to the heroine, the sorceress, the femme fatal, the queen, the ingenue – the manifestations of drama and gallantry and enchantment that exist in our fairytales of old. The distinctions between that which is human and that which is supernatural are ripped apart and resewn together into a hypnotic garment which seamlessly combines the two opposing realms, a confection of age-old stories reimagined in new styles.
The collection as whole is paragon in terms of individual pieces unified under a common theme, a dazzling feat elevated even further by the intricate detail work of each garment. Feathers are reminiscent of the secrecy of the Moulin Rouge, while still bringing to mind the sophistication of young debutantes being presented before their sovereigns; opulently embellished sheer overlays enshroud women in a sense of mystery, despite the vulnerability of being physically exposed; capes mimic wings, and hooded cloaks suggest storybook women running headfirst into adventure; pearls and gems and ostentatious headpieces are evocative of grand noblewomen; hemlines, bustlines, bodices, and shoes strike the hearts of their viewers with a sense of total power and cool control. Together, the collection becomes an ethereal dream, a vision so alluring and whimsical we feel as if we are onlookers to a mythic convocation of the magnificent, and that upon waking from our slumber we will wonder whether the illusion truly was all in our heads.
Elie Saab’s works are a journey to a world more compelling, more glamorous, more fantastic than our own. He has created pieces of wearable art in an ode to all that I love about fashion – extraordinary attention to detail, incredible creativity, the development of a voice that speaks to its audience through nothing more than stitches on yards of silk. He has a gift for which I thank him for sharing, and thank you, Reader, for admiring with me.
Love,
Lettie Anne