Fashion Week/Month always brings out beautiful designs; today, we’ll be shining a spotlight on the designers from Paris Fashion Week and looking at their collections.
ELIE SAAB
WHO IS ELIE SAAB?
Saab is a famous Lebanese designer. He rose to international fame when Halle Berry wore one of his designs while accepting an Oscar at the 2002 Academy Awards. Additionally, Saab has dressed many celebrities and royalty over the years and he’s renowned for his use of romantic fabrics such as taffeta, chiffon, and organza as well as statement embellishments consisting of pearls, Swarovski crystals, and gemstones.
A NATURAL TALENT FOR DESIGN
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Saab became interested in design at 9 years old and sewed dresses for his sisters out of curtains and tablecloths. He opened his first atelier in 1982 when he was only 18 years old with 15 employees. At the time, he mainly focused on bridal couture. In 1998, Saab revealed his first ready-to-wear collection at Milan Fashion Week and became the first non-Italian to do so.
Saab’s current estimated net worth is $200 million which comes from his perfume sales and 100 boutiques around the world.
ELIE SAAB’S SS19 COLLECTION
Many designers didn’t include as many florals as they normally do for Spring/Summer collections, but there was no shortage of flowers at Saab’s show. From floral prints to leopard print to stripes, it was a colorful show that spanned from romantic to sexy, which gives women an array of options should they wear one of his pieces. There were some tamed, solid-colored pieces, but the outfits shown reflect the collection well.
AFTERHOMEWORK | DESIGNERS: PIERRE KACZMAREK AND ELENA MOTTOLA
WHO IS AFTERHOMEWORK?
At 15 years old, Kaczmarek launched a t-shirt collection. Four years later, he’s still going strong with his collections at Paris Fashion Week. He works together with stylist Elena Mottola, and the name is inspired by his parents not wanting him to choose fashion over his studies.
Kaczmarek usually uses black and white in his pieces, but has added colors into other collections. He doesn’t think about gender roles in fashion, leading him to create mainly androgynous and unisex pieces. With his clothes, he hopes to express oppression among the youth. Kaczmarek has also recruited other creative Parisians such as graphic designers, musicians, and artists to emphasize the artistry for the collections.
AFTERHOMEWORK’S SS19 COLLECTION
This collection showcased black and white as usual, with various shades of blue. Other colors included were red and lavender. There was an emphasis on ruching fabric, structure and angles in the clothing, and excess flowing material.
AALTO | DESIGNER: TUOMAS MERIKOSKI
WHO IS AALTO?
Merikoski is a Finnish designer whose work is based in Paris. In the past, he worked for the design teams at Givenchy and Louis Vuitton. The word “aalto” means “wave” in Finnish. He started off his collection with quirky, retro yet wearable pieces. However, his most recent show revealed a more sophisticated look.
AALTO’S SS19 COLLECTION
In this collection, Merikoski interpreted “aalto” almost literally. Some pieces showcased the “wave” almost literally through prints, necklines, and draping. The main color scheme was white, black, blue, and orange.
I hope this post was enjoyable! I feel like learning about designers helps with feeling closer to them and understanding their designs better. Thanks so much for reading and I’ll see you lovelies soon!