A feast for the senses, a banquet of colour, texture, and design that is meant to be savoured, and most importantly, worn, the Maison Rabih Kayrouz (Instagram) Spring Summer 2024 collection is a breath of fresh air, offering a refreshing perspective on the season’s fashion offerings.
The collection is a love letter to the art of fashion, a tribute to Kayrouz’s mastery of the craft, and a reflection of the designer’s recent sojourns in the artistic haven of Arles. It is a symphony of colour and fabric – a tribute to the power of fashion to evoke emotion and tell stories.
Imagine a woman, poised and self-assured, awaiting her lover at the harbour. She is draped in the collection’s pieces, each one encompassing Kayrouz’s vision of confident femininity. The garments wrap around her like a tender embrace, the asymmetrical necklines and column silhouettes casting an aura of drama and intrigue. The collection’s palette is a celebration of summer: azure skies, sun-drenched yellows, pristine whites, and forest-tinged black, punctuated by whisper of powder roses.
The fabrics are a tactile delight, a blend of satin, crepe, silk, cotton toile, charmeuse and more. The jackets are a masterclass in simplicity and versatility, with wide cuts that can be cinched for a more tailored look, and straight cuts that feature surprise splits at the shoulder or back. The pants, straight-cut or wide-legged, are a nod to the working class, while the tuxedos, in jacket or dress form, exude an air of timeless elegance.
The dresses are the collection’s pièce de résistance, offering fluid and free silhouettes. They are a visual echo of the verses of Baudelaire’s “Le Beau Navire,” which Kayrouz has cleverly woven into the collection. The sheer net overlay, embroidered with the lines of the poem Kayrouz wrote to accompany this collection, can be draped over a gown or a pantsuit with casual nonchalance.
Kayrouz’s reinterpretation of “Le smoking” pays homage to the French Navy’s traditional vareuse, resulting in a versatile tunic top and tux. The collection also strikes a balance of casual and formal wear, creating a playful juxtaposition with cotton button-downs paired with sequined skirts that gather at the waist.
The outerwear speaks to the spirit of adventure, with safari-like blazers and an airy, open-back trench topped with a cape. The pieces are designed for travel, with structured suiting made from canvas, cotton, and silk shantung. The outerwear pieces can be transformed from jackets to capes with a simple tie of a ribbon at the shoulders, elevating the garments with a sense of fluidity and movement.
The collection’s subtlety is its strength, with simple fabrics and shapes that belie Kayrouz’s innovative construction techniques. Open backs are concealed by capes, and off-the-shoulder gowns seem to defy gravity. The collection is a testament to Kayrouz’s belief in the power of fashion to communicate, to tell stories, and to evoke emotion. The garments speak, quite literally, with black sheaths in gauzy tulle embroidered with excerpts from Baudelaire’s “Le Beau Navire.”
The Maison Rabih Kayrouz Spring Summer 2024 collection is an ode to the Lebanese designer’s commitment to creating wearable art. The garments are not just beautiful – they are designed to be worn, to be lived in and to become a part of the wearer’s story.
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