Ballgowns as wide as the catwalk at Elie Saab Couture

There has been talk this week about couture for everyday, street couture, modern couture. Elie Saab is having none of it – he doesn't need to. 

His version of modern is a fairytale gown for latter-day princesses, and there were plenty of them in the audience.

Dresses, slips and two-piece skirt suits bristled with pearls, appliqué and paillettes, embellished onto sheer and delicate tulle and organza crinolines. Some gowns were as wide as the catwalk itself, complete with pannier skirts – no doubt these ones will end up on the shopping lists of the Crillon Ball debutantes. Others, destined for red carpet events perhaps, were more slimline, sleeker and less naive – draped like togas and chitons, wrapped, ruched and pleated.

There were painterly effects and ombré too, which brought the princess-ish silhouettes up to date.

For the most part though, nothing needed to be dragged into the modern era; Saab's clients are traditionalists and he deals in the type of nostalgia that people expect and enthuse about during couture week. In that respect, his followers will have been very happy with today's offerings.

Click the gallery to see every look from the Elie Saab spring 2014 couture show.