Fez — With his Spring-Summer 2026 haute couture collection, Elie Saab revisits the hedonistic glow of the 1970s while placing the golden era of the “Milos to Marrakech” jet set at the heart of a luminous, nomadic fantasy shaped by light, movement, and excess held in balance.
Titled “Nuits dorées d’été 71” (“Golden Summer Nights ’71,”) the collection was presented in Paris at the Théâtre de Chaillot, a landmark of modernist architecture built for the 1937 World’s Fair.
The choice of venue underscored the collection’s dialogue between eras, echoing Saab’s long-standing fascination with early 20th-century elegance while opening onto the liberated spirit of the 1970s jet set.
Couture inspired by movement and light
Rather than reconstructing a decade, Saab approached the 1970s as a state of mind. The collection unfolded as a wardrobe designed for travel, leisure, and spectacle, where bohemian ease is elevated to couture precision. Majestic gowns played with transparency, tailored silhouettes were drenched in crystals, and jumpsuits shimmered in layered tones of gold and silver.
Boleros, evening stoles, and flowing outerwear completed a lineup that appeared relaxed in attitude while remaining rigorously crafted. Every look balanced apparent effortlessness with the house’s exacting standards, reinforcing Saab’s ability to merge sensuality with structure.
Marrakech as a central imagination
Morocco served as a guiding presence throughout the collection, with Marrakech positioned not as a decorative reference but as an atmosphere. The city appeared as a place of chiaroscuro and controlled intensity, evoked through warm metallic hues, fluid fabrics, and silhouettes designed to catch and reflect light.
Fringes, rich embroidery, and sheer layers suggested nights shaped by heat and movement, where bodies and materials glow under artificial light. The collection’s palette — drawn from burnished golds, softened neutrals, and sun-faded tones — recalled aged postcards oscillating between the Aegean Sea and North African warmth.
Sound, space, and unexpected materials
The show’s immersive quality was reinforced by a live soundtrack performed by composer Thomas Verovski and the Scoring Orchestra. Psychedelic string arrangements and folk-rock inflections created an atmosphere suspended between Parisian theatricality, 1970s hedonism, and imagined Oriental mirages.
While crystals, pearls, and fur accents reaffirmed Saab’s signature language, the collection also introduced unexpected material choices. Leather appeared with the delicacy of chiffon, shaped into lace-up dresses finished with macramé details. Fringed pieces rippled across the runway, while woven vests shimmered like sculpted bronze.
Even traditionally casual garments were reinterpreted through couture techniques. The tank top, for instance, was transformed using silk mousseline, crystal mesh, and stylized feathers, blurring the line between daywear and evening attire.
