Elie Saab

PARIS, October 4, 2008

By Nicole Phelps

Watching a show by Elie Saab, who built his reputation on the backs of Hollywood's glamour girls, the question is always the same: Can you picture a celebrity wearing that? More often than not this season the answer was not likely. The Easter-egg color palette—hydrangea blue, lavender, daffodil, and apple green—will be the first stumbling block. Other obstacles include the outsized ruffles, awkward proportions on what few day looks there were, and fabrics and construction that just didn't look like the best that money can buy. Another issue: a sky-high slit that exposed one model's undies. Come to think of it, that dress may have a certain appeal for some of our starlets.

The pieces that worked came unsurprisingly from the silvery-gray portion of the collection: a short dress embroidered all over in metallic paillettes and a long stretch knit dress with a deep décolleté. Thinking more along those lines will make Saab's collection relevant to the likes of Dita Von Teese and Milla Jovovich, both of whom sat in his front row.