Steve Barth
This season two influential couture houses, Elie Saab and Viktor & Rolf, created collections centered around ballroom attire. Elie Saab’s collection, entitled “Golden Dawn in Thailand”, was inspired by the Thai royal family and featured grandeur, glitz, and glamor along with subtle Thai motifs. The collection was modeled in the light-filled Carreau du Temple in Paris, and featured dragons and delicate wings on body-hugging gowns, giant coats, and metallic capes. Princely guys were also included, dressed in sandy hued redingotes and tails. Elie Saab’s collection was an opulent reference to a royal ceremony and progression.
Viktor & Rolf’s collection was staged in the Salon Opera ballroom inside the Intercontinental Hotel in Paris. The key silhouette was a wasp waist gown made of crystals and bows, and the models were dressed in flesh-toned corsets. The collection was a comment on the absurdity of the 21st century, and it received huge applause and wild whistles. Both Elie Saab and Viktor & Rolf’s collections were a celebration of the beauty and grandeur of ballroom attire.
