Elie Saab весна-лето 2011

It was back to the seventies at Elie Saab, as on so many other runways this season. The designer name-checked Bianca, Lauren, and Diane, and he attempted to conjure the wild nights of Studio 54 with a lineup that was long on jersey, chiffon, sequins, and the decade’s requisite platform sandals. If it felt like a tepid reimagining of that heady era, especially in light of the disco-y decadence of Louis Vuitton a few hours later, that may be partly explained by the fact that Saab does such a big business with the Hollywood crowd. No actress wants to land on the worst-dressed list, which means today’s red-carpet dressing only pushes the boundaries so far.

Saab’s formula for Spring was best summed up by the closing dress, a blush-peach asymmetrical gown embroidered in tiny squares of sequins: a little bit of shine and a little bit of shoulder, with a glossy mane and lids lined in yellow shadow to match. Michel Gaubert’s soundtrack of Rolling Stones, Blondie, and Diana Ross tunes worked hard to add some sizzle to the proceedings, but the green chartreuse, apricot, slate blue, and smoky white palette didn’t want to comply. A close-fitting column gown ruched on the torso and a cocktail dress with the same draped detail down its back provided a couple of pulse-quickening moments. But you left wanting more of them.