Saab plays it safe with bejeweled couture gowns

PARIS (AP) — Elie Saab's couture never ventures far beyond his safe signature: fitted high-waists and long feminine gowns in powdery sumptuous silk that are always well-cut.

For his spring-summer collection there were no surprises.

This season's theme, "an ode to delicateness," saw the Lebanese-born designer explore transparencies in lace and tulle in ivory, pink and light blue.

Embroidered constellations of white pearls, paillettes and crystals set these powdery looks off decoratively — broken up only by the finale, in which black gowns floated past glimmering with jet.

There is always something of the slightly twee fairy story princess that infiltrates Saab's collections.

Here this was done more creatively — not in the rather facile silk capes — but in the otherworldly black crinolines in the latter part of the show.

Instead of conjuring up Snow White, they had a great feel of a glamorous wicked witch.

_____

Thomas Adamson can be followed at http://Twitter.com/ThomasAdamsonAP