Elie Saab Spring/Summer 2026 RTW: Modern Glamor for Power, Play, and Pleasure

By Jesse Scott

Elie Saab continues to dress the effortlessly glam cool girl for Spring/Summer 2026. Before a star-studded front row that included Heidi Klum, who made waves in Saab at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Barbara Palvin, Oliva Palermo, and Jana and Kinzy Diab, the Lebanese designer launched another outstanding collection in a dramatic Palais de Tokyo space. A timeless color palette, fluid silhouettes, and intoxicating pops of flirtatious fun defined a collection perfect for intrepid travelers who always seem to be embarking on spontaneous adventures and returning with iconic stories. The looks embodied a particular contemporary joie de vivre while referencing the kind of unapologetic late 1990s glamour that has returned to fashion so vigorously in recent seasons. Together they formed the consummate “it girl” collection, which had something for everyone in attendance.

Python Prints, Feathers, and Fringes, Oh My

Highlighting the surprising versatility of animal prints, Elie Saab took guests into the jungle for an exuberant series of looks. Green python print was the primary protagonist, appearing on a ruffled dress that undulated like its namesake (Look 2), a shimmering trench possessed of feminine ferocity (Look 3), a sensual bralette paired with a matching scarf and belt (Look 25) and even on a red-carpet-ready ball gown that was the collection’s penultimate look (Look 60). Birds of paradise were also recalled by the collection; an elaborately fringed dress brought the spirit of the roaring twenties to the tropics and the elaborately trained show-closing sheath seemed to trace down the model’s body like a feather (Looks 56, 61). Finally, playful lizard prints highlighted a wide range of bags and shoes while wooden and silver bangles added a final carefree touch to a variety of looks.

Elie Saab Spring/Summer 2026 ready-to-wear: Looks 2, 3, 25, 60, 56, 61 (Images courtesy of Elie Saab)

During a season that saw many brands use heavy materials and complex layering techniques, Elie Saab maintained a distinctly spring/summer lightness and fluidity. Shades of nude, saffron, and yellow kept the collection both refined and cheerful, while judicially employed pops of sparkle (most notably on a green wrap dress that saw jewels wind around the body like a python (Look 22) added Saint-Tropez style glamour. This season’s Elie Saab girl loves luxury travel but does not seek to become the center of the attention; instead, the spotlight finds her due to her vivacious personality and natural savoir faire. Entitled “Power, Play, and Pleasure,” the collection is ideal for those who smoothly shift between the boardroom and the ballroom, always in command of her situation but never losing sight of having fun.