It would be an understatement to say that Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab has a mastery of red carpet gowns. He’s dressed countless A-listers throughout his multi-decade career: To name a few, Kate Winslet, Céline Dion, Jennifer Lopez and Catherine, Princess of Wales have all worn his designs to major award shows, premieres and weddings. And while his haute couture gowns are a dream to look at, most of us can’t manage dropping five digits on a single piece.
Well, we have some good news: Elie Saab x H&M (yes, H&M!) is coming Oct. 22, and prices range from $39.99 (for a choker necklace) to $429 (for a leather jacket). The collection includes occasionwear for women and men, plus a mix of accessories and footwear — all spotlighting what Elie Saab does best, like sharp tailoring and intricate embellishments.
Saab has never done a fashion collaboration quite like this, translating his signature designs into mass-market pieces. H&M was the right partner thanks to its history of collaborating with other high-fashion names, such as Stella McCartney, Giambattista Valli and Lanvin. Plus, “This collaboration came at the right time,” CEO Elie Saab Jr. tells Fashionista, “when the brand has been expanding significantly in different regions, in different territories, but most importantly, expanding its ready-to-wear line to accompany that expansion.”
Speaking from Elie Saab’s Paris headquarters, the younger Saab says the ready-to-wear line is evolving from occasionwear into a broader lifestyle collection, making the H&M partnership an opportunity to bring that vision to a more accessible audience. He also cites H&M’s “amazing track record” of translating the vision and DNA of major fashion houses into special collaborations while respecting the brands behind them: “We know we are in safe hands.”
Photo: Courtesy of H&M
“There was real teamwork and such a good energy, and I think you can see [it] in the collection,” Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative advisor and head of design, womenswear, tells Fashionista. “We know that our customers want to have the true Elie Saab… so it should never be a poorer version of something. It should be the real deal; that is very important for both parties.”
Saab and his team worked on the collection for more than a year, ensuring each piece stayed true to the “Elie Saab spirit,” the younger Saab says. This meant not chasing trends and sticking to timeless — but never boring — fashion.
“We’re very focused [on] the woman we want to dress, how we want to dress her, where we want to dress her and the ability to translate this into a product that has been constantly evolving with the same quality and the same elegance and sophistication,” he adds. “We believe that today customers want really the true essence of a brand and not what seems to be trendy.”
Photo: Courtesy of H&M
The elder Saab can’t pick a favorite out of his 54-piece line, as there’s something for everyone. “You need a shirt, you have it; you need a cape, you have it; a coat? You have it,” the designer says. Johansson calls the collection “powerful” and says she’s partial to the menswear for herself. “We work[ed] very much on the fit as well, because that is also one of the most important things with the house,” she says. “I think the fit empowers you when you wear it. You can really feel it.”
Photo: Courtesy of H&M
They also worked to ensure each accessory complements the clothes in the collection. The long dresses, the elder Saab notes, are paired with sky-high platforms.
“We respect what our clients love from us,” he says. While the collaboration is expected to attract new customers to the brand, the younger Saab says he also expects existing Elie Saab clients to shop the collection at H&M. “The first client of this collection is our client,” he adds. “People will have a dream piece in this collection.”
Elie Saab x H&M launches online Oct. 22 and in select H&M stores. Preview the entire collection below.
Disclosure: H&M paid for Fashionista’s travel and accommodations to report this story.