On learning that the conceptual points of departure for Elie Saab’s spring collection were “the sultry African air” and “sun-soaked savannah days beneath endless blue skies,” as this season’s show notes read, this reviewer will concede that they braced for what was to come. After all, while “safari chic” is a well-established fixture of the contemporary fashion vernacular—most recently and memorably revived in Anthony Vaccarello’s spring collection last year for Saint Laurent—its contemporary connotations aren’t too chic in 2024.
Fortunately, what Saab showed today at the Palais de Tokyo managed to swerve the colonial nostalgia that many designers exploring similar territory have, perhaps inadvertently, previously invoked. Rather than romanticized visions of the characters one associates with the intrepid “exploration” of the African continent, here the Lebanese designer’s heart-fluttering fantasy drew upon the wealth of its myriad sublime landscapes.
Okay, there were a number of riffs on safari suits—as roomy linen separates or fluid crepe jumpsuits with shrugged-up sleeves—but rather than the default khaki, they came in the hues of fireball lilies, elephant gray, and the ochre dust blown across West Africa by the Harmattan gusts. Raffia pieces were a particular standout, with the plant fiber delicately woven into low-slung skirts and long-sleeve minidresses with faint bubble hems and featuring fern embroidery on floor-grazing tulle gowns.
Of course, given the source material, animalia touches were inevitable—and, really, Saab would’ve been remiss not to lean in here. Military jackets, sweeping chiffon gowns, and cinched Saharienne coatdresses were decorated in textured micro-leopard prints, though their potentially brash effect was tempered, reading more like a sultry purr than a campy roar.
Foliage, too, served as a key motif throughout, with lush rainforests lending their palettes to everything from structured, belted pantsuits to wind-catching cape dresses. The most dazzling translations, however, came through decadent emerald embroideries of palm fronds on a suite of glove-fit chiffon evening gowns. Though it might be argued that this section could have been edited down, gauging by the amount of strass-y evening looks spotted in the front row, the dresses will swiftly find homes in wardrobes the moment they arrive in stores.
