Former Victoria’s Secret Angels take to Elie Saab’s haute couture runway

Candice Swanepoel, Romee Strijd and Joan Smalls took to the haute couture runway for Elie Saab’s spring/summer 2025 show.

Elie Saab, the Lebanese designer loved by A-listers from the Princess of Wales to Celine Dion, showcased a powerfully feminine collection at Paris haute couture week.

“I like feminine elegance, not extravagance,” Saab has said, “The code of my collections will always remain the same,” which is undoubtably, something that Saab’s elite clientele are thankful for.

For his newest collection, Saab didn’t deviate from this adage, serving up ethereal looks reminiscent of a painterly impressionist garden.

The designer blended his established signatures – well-defined cuts, volume, tiered fringe, oodles of lace and embellished embroidery – with avant-garde design choices like denim dresses and organza capes.

Saab’s notable embellishments were recognisably pared-back in favour of sumptuous silks and relaxed draping.

This more understated approach was noticeable in Saab’s recent Resort collection, which also featured sharp cuts and minimal ruching.

Yet Saab’s feminine flair was certainly not wholly neglected. Still present were glittering dresses adorned with floral embellishments, and head-to-toe sequinned gowns flooded the runway.

The spring palette of nude, powder blues and dusky pinks were perfect for the English garden motif of the collection.

When Saab introduced dramatic nocturnal hues followed by indigo denim gowns – it seemed this collection signalled a new era for the London-based designer.

The plays of draping, an abundance of ruching and layers of veiling lace didn’t feel redundant, as they were somehow subdued by the pastel palette.

Capes were peppered throughout the collection – a style that has been discernible at this years’ haute couture week – but they were elevated in the form of sequin-studded organza.

While Swanepoel wore a cool off-the-shoulder denim evening gown adorned with embellished blue flowers, the Elie Saab bride concluded the show in swathes of sparkling peach organza, looking like an ethereal garden nymph.

Celebrities sitting front row included Eva Longoria, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Poppy Delevingne.

Actor Eva Longoria, 49, wore a white floral macramé suit with wide legs and a cream clutch.

Model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, 37, wore an all-white look from the label’s Resort 25 collection, featuring a plunging blazer and matching skinny scarf.

Socialite Poppy Delevingne, 38, opted for a more casual look in a hooded black cape and longline flares.