Regional designers dazzle at Paris Haute Couture Week

Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Rami Al Ali and Ashi Studio bring their unique glamour to the fashion capital

Shades of champagne and muted golds at the Rami Al Ali spring 2023 couture show, shown alongside Paris Haute Couture Week. Photo: Rami Al Ali

Stiffened silk faille folds edge a gown at Rami Al Ali. Photo: Rami Al Ali

A metallic beaded dress that shifts from lavender to silver at Rami Al Ali. Photo: Rami Al Ali

Gold beads are softened with lilac chiffon at Rami Al Ali. Photo: Rami Al Ali

A beaded dress is softened with an overlayer of chiffon, at Rami Al Ali spring 2023 couture. Photo: Rami Al Ali

A pale blue gown embellished with muted silver at Rami Al Ali. Photo: Rami Al Ali

A tailored mini dress is framed with strips of leather at the Ashi Studio spring 2023 couture collection in Paris. Photo: Ashi Studio

An armour-like dress, moulded around the body, at the Ashi Studio show. Photo: Ashi Studio

Soft folds float on a translucent dress at Ashi Studio. Photo: Ashi Studio

A skirt stands proud on the hips at Ashi Studio. Photo: Ashi Studio

Soft feathers are contrasted with rigid boning at Ashi Studio. Photo: Ashi Studio

A stiff A-line mini dress with exaggerated sleeves at Ashi Studio. Photo: Ashi Studio

Molten silver looks at the Zuhair Murad Haute Couture spring 2023 show in Paris. Getty Images

Sequins and feathers in hot pink at the Zuhair Murad show. Getty Images

An evening gown in rich cerise at Zuhair Murad. Getty Images

A cobweb beaded look at Zuhair Murad. Getty Images

A cowled, hooded dress in soft pink at Zuhair Murad. Getty Images

A gown in sunset orange at Zuhair Murad. Getty Images

A draped gown in periwinkle blue by Elie Saab. EPA

The Elie Saab spring 2023 haute couture show offered this feathered gown in seafoam green. EPA

One of the menswear looks at the Elie Saab spring 2023 haute couture show in Paris. EPA

Intricately pieced chiffon and beadwork at Elie Saab. Getty Images

Pale blue patterns at Elie Saab. Getty Images

A lace cape over a trouser suit at Elie Saab. Getty Images

Paris Haute Couture Week 2023's spring/summer shows mark a new chapter in the history of high-end fashion design from the region, with a wealth of talents displaying their latest collections in the French Capital.

Lebanese house Maison Rabih Kayrouz unveiled its new collection earlier this week, and over the past 24 hours, four more designers from the MENA region have also held shows. The established houses of Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad both delivered assured haute couture collections, while Rami Al Ali and Ashi Studio, the latter by Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Ashi, have also presented their newest collections.

Although neither Rami Al Ali nor Ashi Studio are part of the official haute couture schedule — defined by strict criteria laid out by the regulating body Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode — both offer collections that warrant the description of couture.

Elie Saab

The Elie Saab Haute Couture spring 2023 collection is light and delicate, yet feels rich and noble at times. Getty

For his latest haute couture offering, Saab delivered a collection that inhabited the rare space between ethereal and bejewelled.

Seemingly working with motifs lifted from antique lace, in a palette that swayed from nude and pale gold to periwinkle blue, muted salmon and sea foam, the parade of gowns — and odd men’s look — was light and delicate, yet felt rich and noble at times.

The lightness came from transparent sheer looks, entirely covered in rococo curlicues picked out in raised golden frogging, as well as fragile lace teased into wide-legged trousers and matching capes.

Gossamer gowns were decorated with applique flowers and trails of beading that allowed the skin to show through, while huge pussy bows at the neck brought a softness to the mood. With capes and trains aplenty, we can look forward to possibly seeing many of these treasures at the Academy Awards ceremony in March, where Saab is often an A-list go-to.

Zuhair Murad

The looks at Zuhair Murad Haute Couture spring 2023 show started with mint-coloured chiffon, before segueing into beaded crepe and feathered gowns. Getty Images

While Murad seemed to shift slightly from the heavy use of embroidery that has been integral to his work in the past, the embellishment on show nodded to Art Deco, cobwebs and lace, mixed with a pinch of the 1970s and long beaded fringing.

There was a series of pure Hollywood silver screen siren gowns, in silvery draped jersey or lamé evocative of Jean Harlow, while feather trimmed robes felt straight out of old 1930s movies. There were beaded caps from the roaring '20s, now updated and worn with catsuits, plus a sheer, beaded playsuit with a removable taffeta skirt, and a cut-out sequinned mini-dress in shocking pink.

With a colour scheme inspired by the sunset, the looks started with mint-coloured chiffon, before segueing into bold yellow gazar and beaded crepe and jersey gowns. These moved into a series of gentle pink cowl hooded draped dresses, and feathered pieces, before finally shifting to a parade of truly fabulous mandarin orange dresses, including a slender, bugle-beaded, feather-trimmed dress, a grand taffeta opera cape with train, and a 1930s era plisse gown with a feather hem, that nodded to the fabled French couturier, Jean Desses.

The accomplished eveningwear collection illustrates Murad's complete comfort with different styles and skills in eveningwear, while developing beyond a reliance on traditional Beiruti artisanal beadwork.

Rami Al Ali

Rami Al Ali Couture spring 2023 showcased metallics in the form of pale silvery blue pleated evening gowns. Getty Images

Syrian-born designer Rami Al Ali's spring 2023 couture collection took inspiration from the Greek myth of the Golden Fleece. While not part of the official haute couture schedule, his elegantly cut and skilfully created pieces were just as beautiful.

In shades of champagne, beige, gold, sky blue, mist green, lavender and blush pink, Al Ali explored looks for both daytime — as feminine tops worn with tailored trousers — and eveningwear, with myriad dresses and gowns.

Lavish embellishment was downplayed skilfully, partially veiled with organza or softened with billowing over-layers, while much of the embroidery and sprinkled feather embellishments that did appear were in muted old gold.

There were also plenty of metallics in the form of pale silver blue pleated evening gowns and a metallic beaded dress that shifted beautifully from lavender to silver. There were sculptural elements too, with stiffened silk faille folded and draped into a series of grand looks in pale lemon, white and pink shades that closed the show.

Ashi Studio

A voluminous top is mixed with beaded shorts at the Ashi Studio couture spring 2023 show. Getty Images

Showing for the first time in Paris, in parallel to haute couture, Ashi Studio took the opportunity to explore the juxtaposition between hard and soft and form-fitting versus looseness. This appeared as a moulded, almost armour-like column dress in silver shimmer, versus a dress made of silken ruffles floating on a translucent sheath, while elsewhere, a puff of ivory feathers sat around a rigid, boned bodice. More volume arrived as a heavy satin skirt that sat proud of the hips, and as dramatic, bolero sleeves that sat in folds around a simple, A-line mini dress.

Striped of embellishment, save a few silvery details, the collection was predominately black and white to highlight the precise tailoring, making for a bold and auspicious entrance into Paris for the Saudi house.