Elie Saab x H&M brings red-carpet glamour within reach

Despite having more than four decades of magical red carpet moments behind him, as well as a full 20 years since becoming the first Arab designer to join the official Paris haute couture calendar, Elie Saab still prefers to let his creations speak for themselves in real life. And although collaboration offers have been coming his way for years, only now did he feel that the time was right.

“We have always stayed true to ourselves,” the calm and approachable couturier, who has more than 20 million followers on social media, told us during an exclusive preview of the collection at his Paris showroom. “We have never been driven by fleeting trends. If you look at our archive, all you will see is consistency and exceptional craftsmanship.” He continued: “We wanted to be absolutely certain that we could create something in which every piece would feel special, without making any compromises, because otherwise it would not be Elie Saab. No one expects ‘ordinary’ clothes from Elie Saab.”

The fashion house is currently enjoying a period of strong growth, confirms Elie Saab Jr., vice chairman and CEO of the Elie Saab Group. “As our core business, the group records average annual growth of 35 per cent. I believe we have achieved this precisely because we have remained true to our DNA. Our aim was therefore to bring the very essence of the brand to a new audience, and who better to partner with than H&M? They have already done incredible things with the world’s leading fashion houses.” As expected, the Elie Saab x H&M collection places the emphasis on evening glamour, arriving at the perfect time, just ahead of the festive party season. But the offering also includes daywear, coats, embellished knitwear and accessories, from striking logo drop earrings and vintage-inspired woven scarves to elegant slingback flats and vertiginous platforms that look as though they have come straight from the runway. There are also several menswear accessories and tailored evening jackets that will undoubtedly appeal to everyone.

Around 55 pieces in total feature the fashion house’s signature motifs, including iridescent sequins, lace embroidery and faux fur, in a sophisticated palette of dark shades: black, gold and emerald green. Prices range from €29.99 for a striking flower necklace with long ribbons that can also be tied around the waist as a belt, to €79 for an embellished hoodie and around €300 for either a blazer covered in sequins that fade from gold to black or a flowing corset dress that graduates from green to black. The most expensive piece in the collection is a jacket with a raised collar, crafted from rich chocolate-brown shearling that fades to black towards the waist (€399), which can be paired with the matching pencil skirt.

“People often think we plan the timing of each designer collaboration very strategically, but the truth is that sometimes it all simply begins with a feeling,” explains Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative adviser at H&M and head of womenswear. “Mr Saab has been creating beautiful clothes for years, but we felt that perhaps he still had not received all the recognition he deserves.” She added that today, when artificial intelligence dominates every conversation, we all need “simply to experience something truly beautiful.”

“There is this desire and longing for things that can only be made by human hands. Elie Saab is a true creator. He simply has that craftsmanship in his hands, and you can see it immediately.” Johansson recalled how, during one meeting at the studio, Saab took a single piece of black fabric and, twisting, turning and draping it as he went, transformed it into a corset dress directly on the mannequin. “It was fascinating to watch. Afterwards, it was up to us to work out how he had done it and faithfully recreate it. It is much harder than it looks. It was a real challenge for our pattern cutters. The bow and all those tiny details have to sit perfectly, and there is even a small carrying handle on the train,” she explained.

The H&M team also pushed the boundaries to translate the designer’s flair for lavish embellishment into something comfortable to wear, yet made to a considerably higher standard than one might usually expect from the high-street giant. Just a few years ago, some pieces, such as the black faux-fur jacket, would have been impossible to produce. “We learned a great deal from our collaboration with Balmain in 2015. Since then, we have continually worked to improve the quality of the process itself, while recycled materials have also become better and better,” Johansson said.

54Versatility was another major priority. Pieces such as the black double-breasted blazer with a gathered cape back or the bodysuit covered in sequins that fade from brown to black can easily be worn for an evening out, but also dressed down with jeans. With proper care, most of the designs, including the black corset dress in recycled polyester duchesse satin, the green draped chiffon top, the green sequinned corset and the embellished dresses, will look just as good many seasons from now.

And that, Saab and Johansson agreed, was the point of the entire project. “When you look at these clothes, you can see that the codes of our fashion house have been successfully translated, but this is not about adapting just one look, one collection or one style. All these pieces come from the Elie Saab universe, so what you are really seeing here is an entire lifestyle,” concluded Saab Jr. Johansson added: “When two completely different companies come together, you can create things that you might never have been able to achieve on your own.”