It was back to the seventies at Elie Saab, as on so many other runways this season. The designer name-checked Bianca, Lauren, and Diane, and he attempted to conjure the wild nights of Studio 54 with a lineup that was long on jersey, chiffon, sequins, and the decade s requisite platform sandals. If it felt like a tepid reimagining of that heady era, especially in light of the disco-y decadence of Louis Vuitton a few hours later, that may be partly explained by the fact that Saab does such a big business with the Hollywood crowd. No actress wants to land on the worst-dressed list, which means today s red-carpet dressing only pushes the boundaries so far.
Saab s formula for Spring was best summed up by the closing dress, a blush-peach asymmetrical gown embroidered in tiny squares of sequins: a little bit of shine and a little bit of shoulder, with a glossy mane and lids lined in yellow shadow to match. Michel Gaubert s soundtrack of Rolling Stones, Blondie, and Diana Ross tunes worked hard to add some sizzle to the proceedings, but the green chartreuse, apricot, slate blue, and smoky white palette didn t want to comply. A close-fitting column gown ruched on the torso and a cocktail dress with the same draped detail down its back provided a couple of pulse-quickening moments. But you left wanting more of them.
