ELIE SAAB

HAUTE COUTURE A/W 2012-13

As if lifted from a palace along the banks of the Bosporus, Ottoman motifs subtly infuse the collection with imperial splendor.

Like so many precious jewels, evanescent dresses with trains emerge in a palette of champagne to smoky gray, interspersed with soft pink, peacock or sky blue, antiqued gold and jade.

The silhouettes are opulent, set like iridescent jewels with guipure and lace, embroidery and gilded petals. A shower of facetted stones forms constellations, encircling the wrist, sitting over the heart like a brooch or tracing precious rivulets; lace and embroidery follows in their wake to enhance a slim waist or a bare back.

Ethereal, ample volumes in silk organza with swathes of gold find a counterpoint in raw lace edges on sleeves and skirts; tulle, guipure and lace create layers of transparency.