Lebanese designer Elie Saab is teaming up with H&M for a new collection bringing his signature red-carpet glamour to the high street.
The Elie Saab H&M collection will launch on October 22, with womenswear, menswear, accessories and shoes set to go on sale.
The collection will be available at selected stores in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Egypt, as well as online.
H&M announced the collaboration on Thursday, making Saab the latest major fashion designer to work with the Swedish retailer.
The collection will draw on the trends that the Lebanese fashion house is known for, with embellished gowns, shimmering separates and sharply cut tailoring among the highlights. Fine lace, gradient sequins and the brand's monograms will also feature.
“This collection is created for all who admire the world of Elie Saab, and I hope it will be embraced with the same enthusiasm it was created with,” said Saab, chairman and chief creative officer of the fashion house.
“I am very happy with this collaboration and with the way we worked together with the H&M team to bring the collection to life. It has been a truly collaborative and inspiring process.”
Saab founded his fashion house in Beirut in 1982 during the Lebanese civil war and first made his name through bridalwear and evening wear before establishing himself internationally.
He became one of the first non-French designers to become a member of France's Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in 2003, showing his first haute couture collection in Paris later that year. Saab has since become known for elaborate gowns worn by famous faces such as Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Lopez, who have been seen wearing his label on red carpets around the world.
Saab also later expanded beyond haute couture to include ready-to-wear and accessories.
Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M creative adviser and head of design womenswear, described the partnership as a “landmark collaboration”.
“Mr Saab is a designer we have always respected – the journey from master of bridalwear in Beirut to the centre of Paris fashion is an amazing, rich story and we are so excited to be exploring his world,” she said. “Our customers can expect a magical, ornate and glamorous collection.”
H&M has a long history of collaborating with luxury fashion houses and designers, with previous partnerships including Karl Lagerfeld, Versace, Balmain, Moschino, Mugler and, most recently, Glenn Martens.
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