Elie Saab Couture Fall 2025: The Princess Treatment

Elie Saab opened a macaron box of colors for his haute couture collection. Titled “The New Court,” the Lebanese designer offered up a sugary homage to Marie Antoinette in dreamy pinks, pistachio, mint and meringue.

The colorful cookie shades were threaded throughout the collection.

But if it could be interpreted as a return to tradition, Saab framed it as an appeal to youth and playful excess that felt completely modern.

“We wanted to revisit that era because young women love it — the eccentric styles and dramatic volumes,” he said. The minimalist moment is over, he declared. “After all the simpler things before, now they really want pieces with new volumes, with a truly exceptional flair. As we explored volume it really helped to give longevity to that era.”

Saab admitted to a rewatch of Sofia Coppola’s 2006 cult classic “Marie Antoinette” during the design process. As if to confirm, strains of Bow Wow Wow’s “I Want Candy” — lifted straight from a key montage in the film — were threaded through the show’s soundtrack.

It was pop music with pop magic, plus Saab’s usual exquisite tailoring.

Every fabric used was sourced from France, including delicate lace from Lyon and whisper-thin jacquards. Using antique techniques, Saab reworked heavy materials into new, lighter versions, then layered them for added drama and volume. With overlay and appliqué techniques, he created texture on top of these airy foundations.

He sculpted form in voluminous skirts built from layers of silk gazar and light padding at the hips to create the illusion of panniers without the rigidity. Capes and silk arm shrugs billowed in contrast to slim sleeves that draped dramatically over the wrist.

Elsewhere, a trouser suit cut at the knee featured delicate bows at the calf, a nod to 18th-century-style culottes and a wink to the era.

“The princess treatment” is trending on TikTok, and here are the gowns to match, bringing Marie Antoinette style to a new generation.