video transcript

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: Swarovski-incrusted dresses gave a sparkly, shimmery and glamorous touch to Elie Saab's spring/summer 2013 collection presentation on Wednesday (January 23). With his romantic shimmery Swarovski crystal-encrusted gowns, the Lebanese designer has made himself a household name in haute couture, both in the Middle East where he opened his Beirut atelier in 1982 when he was just 18 years old and in Hollywood where his gowns are regular fashion fodder on the red carpet. American actress Halle Berry famously wore one of his peek-a-boo embroidered numbers to the 2002 Oscars. The stunning gowns featured exquisite embroidered lace of varying opacity. A bustier gown in georgette served as a rich visual tableau with impressionistic sequins and neo-Baroque motifs etched in jet black. Saab also showed a number of looks featuring long capes open at the back, a fresh twist on modern eveningwear. The finale number was an ivory champagne lace bridal gown with a voluminous skirt and long train embroidered with Baroque motifs. It was paired with a Victorian-styled matching veil. Saab's newest collection, which was just as feminine and glamorous as his last, was described as "an ode to delicateness" in the press release given out to journalists at the show. Saab explored the idea of delicateness by working with fragile fabrics and exploring degrees of transparency over skin in ivory and powdery hues of pale pink, baby blue and mauve. Paris Haute Couture Week runs through Thursday. Highlights of the week include shows by such storied French and Italian fashion houses as Christian Dior, Chanel, Giorgio Armani Prive, Jean Paul Gaultier and Valentino.