Beauty Beyond Parallel .... Elie Saab F/W 08-09

Here’s a common perception on Elie Saab – the Middle Eastern version of Roberto Cavalli whose clothes are ubiquitously loud and swathed with jewels or whatsoever accoutrements and only suitable to be worn for red carpet events.

Well, that is what most people would think about him since the day Halle Berry was spotted in one of his lavish creations, which was also the same day she bagged an Oscar. Yes, I can’t deny that Elie Saab’s gowns are absolutely marvellous with all that trimming and stuff but did you know, that when it comes to prêt-a-porter (yes, he also does a prêt-a-porter line), it’s a whole different story.

Since the inception of his Ready-to-Wear line in 2006, women around the world simply could not get enough of it. Why? Besides not assimilating too much glamour in the collection, the line too seems veritably perfect for everyday use and steep in European sense of style. Whilst Saab’s RTW line could be found everywhere around the world, including Singapore and Taipei, it’s a shame that not a single multi-brand store in KL carries it!

Anyway, let’s proceed to the show shall we? Cutting edge is the perfect word to describe Saab’s FW08 prêt-a-porter collection with extra content of feminine spirit. Swathed in graphic prints influenced by Dutch artists Mondrian and De Stilj (if you don’t remember who they are, refer back to the Art History textbooks!), Saab knows exactly what an urban woman wants – a set of apparels that are simple and smart but purely stunning inside and out.

Opening the show was a printed long-sleeved chiffon dress with billowy knee-length tutu skirt. Accented with a bow on the front and simple wide patent leather belt around her waist, the look may be more suitable for your spring/summer wardrobe rather than fall or winter. But should it (the dress) be brought here, I bet all ladies who really lunch would immediately go gaga over it and snatch them before anyone of us could briefly utter “Elie Saab!”

Playing with the slenderness of a woman’s anatomy, Saab created his dresses and ensembles are absolutely fluid with balanced amounts of matte and sheerness. Another point that will make Saab deserves for praises is the efficient combination of colours. Besides letting mysterious black to dominate the line, Saab also added a sense of sensuality and sophistication with impressive tints of Kelly green, sky blue, and rusty looking deep red.

Skip five or more dresses; other attraction pieces that are worth investing in this fall/winter are the one-shouldered and strapless evening gowns. Immaculately crafted, the gowns feature billowy long skirts and lend a Grecian Goddess-y feel to the wearer. But if you are seeking for something that’s haute couture without haute couture price, then look forward to the stunning long sheath dress in midnight blue and swathed in shiny sequin.

Now colours and womanly silhouettes aside, another feature that make Elie Saab collection worth investing is the great effort that he put on those intricate details. From draping to pleating, the detailing made by Saab on his creations is simply breathtaking and perchance, requires a skill that needs to be mastered for ages. Although they might be not as detail as his haute couture works, still, that is the other factor that got women buying!

So, if you think that Elie Saab’s fall/winter collection is simply infectious, you can start revving up that private jet engines and fly just anywhere around the globe (where Elie Saab’s Ready-to-Wear is sold) and stock the entire line. Elie Saab’s fall/winter 2008 RTW collection is available now at selected multi-brand boutiques and departmental stores worldwide.

*Photos by Marcio Madeira for Style.com/VOGUE

Elie Saab – Poise Boutique, 290 Orchard Road, The Paragon, 02-47/48, Singapore; Choice Collection, 302, Tun Hwa S Road, Sec 1, Taipei, Taiwan.