Some designers respond to the cacophonous demand for “the New” in a haphazard way. Or they’ll experiment with radical designs that depart from their own iconic style for a dizzying about-face. However, Elie Saab sticks to his formula, and his status in the fashion industry should tell you just how successful that formula is. Each season he churns out gowns so elegant, fresh, and gorgeous as to make onlookers sigh in longing. He lets his models look “pretty” with swept back hair, tan shoulders, and pink blush. He wants women to be radiant, and he supplies the means to make it so. That is not to say he ever stagnates – he doesn’t – as each ensuing collection shows a little more sure-footed purchase on the slippery slope of couture.

This time around he was inspired by the exquisite opulence of Constantinople. Though he starts with seven black dresses – all variations on the floor-length caftan that led the show – he allows warmer colors to add levity and brightness to the presentation. A sea of gold-spun nudes, tans, flesh tones, teals, and peaches dazzled their way down the runway. Every look was dripping with crystals and sequins, some in solid swaths and others in beaded patterns along the lines of the garments. He ends with a breathtaking bridal gown with a skirt wide enough to sweep the width of the catwalk. Saab loves dressing women and turning them into walking pieces of art – a feat which he more than accomplishes this season.

written by GRACE GORDON|photos: courtesy of GoRunway