By Jesse Scott
It’s half past midnight in a Soho loft. An intimate dinner party has become delightfully disheveled… ties loosened, hair let down, bone-dry martinis flowing, and lipstick stains appearing in places they should not. Guests spill onto the balcony in the throes of impassioned discussion, some in the company of old friends, others in the intoxicating “will they or won’t they” stage of a new romance. Many view this as a pre-game, soon piling haphazardly into Uber Blacks to continue the evening in a pulsing Meatpacking club or an underground Brooklyn rave. But wherever this night leads, it all is a bit darker, far sultrier, and most definitely more beautiful than the polished image they will present to their colleagues in fashion or finance ten hours (and one hour of sleep) later.
Welcome to midnight in Manhattan! Elie Saab has always exemplified the spirit of the international jet set. But this season saw him infuse it with a more dangerous edge. Without sacrificing the sensuality or sophistication of his silhouettes, Saab swathed them with a particular primal sensibility that emerges when the lights go out. Inspired by Manhattan in the 1990s, that golden age of art, nightlife, and high-stakes business, this season’s Saab girl is at home amidst both “downtown power tailoring and uptown girls with a twist.” She is empowered to live life to the fullest in every sense of the term - as Margot Robbie in Wolf of Wall Street or Jessica Chastain in Molly’s Game. And she embraces dark desire. “I don’t like flowers as they are - only as they misbehave,” the haunting narration to the show read.
Ferocious Flowers, From Start to Finish
The show started with unbridled ferocity. The opening look was a glistening red leather sheath worn by a model who stalked down the runway with dark make-up that both threatened and seduced (full marks to the hair and make-up team on this show). It was shortly followed by a croc leather printed jacket, skirt, and pair of pants respectively in Looks 2, 3, and 4, in Saab’s words “for high-stakes occasions.” The croc print pants were paired with black leaver gloves and a semi-sheer black lace top half-resembling a halter except with a Victorian style-ruff around the neck. Equal parts sophisticated and irreverent, and most definitely femme fatale, it was the perfect ensemble for the girl who excels at her career but lives for the night. Look 6, which paired Bordeaux leather pants with a sheer long-sleeve and lingerie inspired bodice, embodied the same attitude. And Look 11, which saw lingerie playing peek-a-boo beneath a sumptuous coat worn slouched over one shoulder, was a personal favorite.
Elie Saab Autumn/Winter 2026 Ready-to-Wear: Looks 2, 3, 4, 6, 11 (Images courtesy of Elie Saab)
Elie Saab Autumn/Winter 2026 Ready-to-Wear: Looks 18, 23, 27. 55 (Images courtesy of Elie Saab)
I said it after attending January’s couture show… and I’ll repeat it about ready-to-wear AW26. If you’re an “it girl,” you need to be wearing Elie Saab. From Leonie Hanne to Poppy Delevingne to Barbara Palvin to Elle Bamber, the front row was full of A-list names who rose in rousing applause following an exuberant final walk which saw the models sweep down the runway in synchronization. Leaving the show into the blinding sun of the Tuileries, I felt deeply moved - and reminded of why I love fashion. Saab’s show was transcendent, effortlessly capturing the spirit of that gloriously ephemeral Manhattan midnight that has existed through decades and trends, is dreamed of around the globe, and that, once experienced, we can never get enough of.
