Elie Saab’s new couture collection summons Gothic style and eery Victoriana

Elie Saab’s autumn/winter 2024-25 haute couture collection delved into the ethereal, exploring feminised fantasies, Gothic motifs and occult Victoriana.

Worn by the Princess of Wales in 2019 to Royal Ascot, the Lebanese fashion designer is famed for his flagrantly feminine designs, combining Western silhouettes and Middle Eastern embellishment.

However, Saab’s newest couture collection delved deeper into the unknown, displaying bodices embroiled in sequined spider webs, pluming necklines and cascading capes, evoking an almost supernatural etherealism.

Idris Elba and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer meet families of knife crime victims at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Idris Elba and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer meet families of knife crime victims at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

Cloaks, blossoming accessories and floor-length overcoats dominated the runway, following couture week’s trends of exaggerated outerwear and avant-garde layering.

Idris Elba and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer meet families of knife crime victims at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Idris Elba and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer meet families of knife crime victims at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

Whilst employing mystic motifs, the collection revelled in fabrics of crushed velvet, mesh and lace in a red wine and pitch palette. Saab – never one to bypass on glamour – layered the looks in shimmering fringe split skirts, dripping beads and cascading mesh.

Idris Elba and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer meet families of knife crime victims at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Idris Elba and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer meet families of knife crime victims at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

The label’s quintessentially feminine fantasy was indulged through opulent ostrich feathered jackets, elegant sweetheart necklines and delicate opera gloves.

Idris Elba and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer meet families of knife crime victims at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Idris Elba and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer meet families of knife crime victims at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

Encrusted bodices, sculpted silhouettes and fluid trains elevated the looks from Victoriana drama to fantastically feminine. Saab also married jewels to florals, creating an array of dazzlingly breath-taking prints.

Idris Elba and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer meet families of knife crime victims at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Idris Elba and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer meet families of knife crime victims at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

The show was closed with a haze of cream lace and shimmering gold, as the Elie Saab bride appeared in a lace and sequined gown with a flowing train. A sharp departure from the dramatic gowns preceding, the fairy-tale frock evoked a sense of wonder that left a yearning for escapism, a theme at the core of this season’s looks.

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