Elie Saab presented his fall 2026 ready-to-wear collection at Paris Fashion Week, drawing inspiration from 1990s New York styles. The show featured a mix of elegant gowns and edgy ensembles, with models showcasing looks that balanced sophistication and urban edge. Designer Elie Saab highlighted his affection for New York amid ongoing challenges in Lebanon.
The Elie Saab fall 2026 ready-to-wear collection debuted on March 7, 2026, at the Carrousel du Louvre during Paris Fashion Week. Titled Midnight in Manhattan, the show reimagined the duality of uptown and downtown New York fashion from the 1990s. Mist filled the runway as models emerged in modern pieces like a cherry red leather bustier dress, black croc-stamped pencil skirts, and trousers, evoking film noir while updating classic silhouettes.
Models sported extra-smoky eyes, sleek hairstyles, and spiked heels or booties, creating a uniform yet contrasting aesthetic of elegance and edge. Gowns boasted beads, elaborate floral embroideries, and hand-painted pink flowers on leather. Subtler highlights included Maggie Maurer in a long black tuxedo coat lined with sequins and an oxblood velvet bustier and pencil skirt resembling denim. The lineup mixed sculpted tulip shapes with diaphanous silhouettes, velvet puffers, and fine-gauge knits for everyday appeal.
Drama built toward the finale with a naked dress shimmering in silver stones, a draped gown reminiscent of the Victoire de Samothrace sculpture at the Louvre, a 1950s-inspired champagne lace dress with allover embroidery, and a chic black organza finale that revealed the legs.
Backstage, Saab adjusted tailored pieces and shared his fondness for New York. “I love the rhythm of life there. And since this collection is ready-to-wear, I felt that it had a good vibe,” he said. “My generation was very attached to that period in New York, seeing things differently, and I wanted to bring those ideas to life in this collection.” Addressing air strikes in Lebanon, he noted the difficulty but added, “We Lebanese survive.” The theme coincidentally aligned with the film Love Story, set in 1990s New York; Saab remarked, “We started this over a year ago, but the timing is perfect.” Attendees overheard joking, “This made me want to spend a lot of money.” Saab emphasized, “Our work will always be about enhancing a woman’s beauty.”
Model Barbara Palvin attended in Look 3, a belted knee-length trench in pale python print, paired with matching peep-toe sandals featuring a high-cut vamp, slender crisscross straps, a tall wooden stiletto heel with a gold accent, and cutaway sides akin to a d’Orsay style.
