Elie Saab: A Glittering Finale

by Timothy Hagy, Paris Editor

PARIS, January 25, 2006 - As the soundtrack blared out "I've got you under my skin", glittering creation after glittering creation passed down the catwalk in the Ecole des Beaux Arts as Lebanese designer Elie Saab closed Paris couture week with his fast paced show on Wednesday afternoon. Then again, glitter, and particularly Halle Berry glittering on the red carpet, is what made Elie Saab famous.

It didn't take a genius to figure out where Saab was aiming since the road to the Oscars begins each January on the Paris catwalks. And if the stars in Hollywood are the same size as the 110 pound models used for the show, the pieces will look equally ravishing.

Dusted in plumes, glazed with crystals, studded with bijou, these clothes were intended to glow in the dark, and the plainest dress - lace with matching cape - still managed to stand out in the spotlight.

With all the glitz presented in such a compact period, it would have been easy to miss the detail, the craftsmanship and the technical wizardry of embroidery that his atelier has mastered.

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