ELIE SAAB SPRING 2016 | PARIS FASHION WEEK

Elie Saab gave show goers who attended his Spring/Summer 2016 collection a pleasant surprise on Saturday afternoon. He pulled back on all the red carpet gowns and shimmering sequins and instead proposed a lineup of looks that could survive in the light of day.

The show was full of pieces that stayed true to the designer's romantic and feminine style, but Saab updated it with proportions that felt not so much glamorous as girl about town. And he absolutely demonstrated that he is in the fashion groove as far as current sartorial trends are concerned. From the ribbon bows at the collar and the flat sandals being worn with long dresses to the inclusion of bomber jackets, bold striped suiting, fluid chiffon embellishments and bright color block prints, Saab was right on the mark.

This was most evident in the abundance of lace looks he sent down the runway. Saab cut almost every possible piece of clothing out of floral lace at one point or another. And if he wasn't doing that, then the blooms were crafted out of three-dimensional perforations on leather looks. Alternatively, flowers appeared in charming, slightly paint by numbers, prints that saw hibiscus slowly bleeding into color from a black and white outline.