PARIS, Jan 26, 2008 /FR/ --- Elie Saab’s haute couture collections just flow into one another, season after season, with no real design break. To some observers, this can look as a trademark of the most famous Lebanese designer in the world; to other more demanding fashionistas, this permanence with no clear change or theme in each collection is unforgivable; to the house’s customers, it is a comfort to witness that their favourite designer is presenting each collection with only reasonable innovations, catering to their expected needs in the best of ways.

Ivana Trump, sitting front row three days ago, when Elie Saab presented his couture collection for Spring 2008, admitted to FashionReporters in an interview: “Haute Couture is not first a passion for me, it is more of a necessity, as I have to prepare for many an occasion ahead of me every six months. This is why I have to attend.” Clearly, Ivana Trump was not seen at each and every runway show, but only where she might find adequate outfits for her busy socialite calendar, and Elie Saab seems to be standing high on her list of designers.

“It is also important to attend, because Haute Couture, I believe, is giving an idea about the following season’s trends in luxury ready-to-wear”, added the female connoisseur. The trends at this Elie Saab runway show were subtle, drawing the spotlight on pastel colours. Taffeta, organza, tulle, muslin delicately highlight the rhinestones they are sprinkled with, in a series of delightful tones: spring rose pink, clear Japanese yellow, aniseed green, champagne gold, morning sky blue.

Apart from the usual drapes, moulding the female figure to create wonderful low-necked cocktail and evening dresses, apart from the habitual embroidered lace, the novelty at Elie Saab consists in wide 3-D pleats of shantung, with ample vertical folds from waistline to the bust, allowing to discover the shimmering quality of the natural silk woven into the precious fabric, and discover a more contained gleam in the various facets of the soft material. Deprived of their usual blinding sparkle when these crystal drops are embroidered, a sky blue sheath with this new fold in the front and small train certainly made a statement, adding a touch of extremely sensible class to the silhouette.

Another standout in the collection is an ample but short bustier in shades of yellow to gold, creating over a matching above-the-knee dress ample pleats to frame the bust and the neckline in shimmering sophistication.

At a time when Italian couturier Valentino has been taking his very last bow on the runway, and when it is uncertain whether the Roman house will continue with its new Creative Director to design Haute Couture in the future, the amount of worldwide customers gathered around the Elie Saab catwalk, seems to indicate that the leader of Lebanese high fashion could well draw to his brand new women in love with the sheer luxury of the made-by-hand fashion.

Not only does his Middle-Eastern clientele follow Elie Saab regularly on his Paris shows, the couturier is also appealing to worldwide habitués of couture, like Ivan Trump who confessed to us: “I am also here in Paris to do fittings for a very special occasion: my wedding! I have ordered several wedding dresses and I haven’t chosen which one I shall wear yet on April 12th… One of them is by Elie Saab, of course!”

The reason for Elie Saab’s success might lie in the fact that he does not only try to satisfy his clients, but also educates them. Not content with designing the dresses they are expecting, he is also trying to give them more knowledge about fashion and with every collection, softly introduces new notions for them to enjoy and learn without even knowing it. This is what couture is about after all: a dress of course, but also the unpaired service that goes with it, and Elie Saab is certainly delivering both.