Elie Saab Fall Winter 2025-2026 Ready-to-Wear “Shapka / Izbushka Saga”. Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: Ellie Saab.

Elie Saab, the grand maestro of elegance, has always treated his ready-to-wear collections as an experimental playground. And this season? Oh, what a delightful experiment it is! For Fall Winter 2025-2026, Saab handed the creative reins to a young Italian designer—fresh out of fashion school, wide-eyed, and ready to leave their mark. And leave a mark they did, in the form of a shapka.

Yes, darling, this season is all about the shapka. Big, fluffy, dramatic. So dominant, in fact, that if you squint, you might think it’s the shapka wearing the gown.

A Love Story: Shapka & Gown

Picture this: A sweeping, glistening Elie Saab gown, the kind that practically whispers, “Take me to a grand ballroom.” Now, introduce it to a thick, cozy sweater, the type you wear when huddling by the fireplace with a cup of tea. The two lock eyes, there’s a dramatic pause, and—against all odds—they decide to make it work. And just when you think this unlikely couple is settling in, the furry shapka arrives and steals the show.

Every season, Elie Saab’s ready-to-wear line takes a little detour into the land of experimentation. And this time, the adventure has led us straight into a Russian winter fairytale—or at least, Saab’s vision of one. Imagine young Russian women draped in long, sparkling gowns, sitting by the fire in their izbushkas (yes, those charming wooden huts), their heads crowned with towering furry shapkas, as if winter itself had personally invited them to a royal ball.

Or maybe, just maybe, he was designing for freakishly rich Baba Yagas —you know, the legendary sorceress of Slavic folklore—except these ones have traded their enchanted forests for high society soirées. Either way, the collection is a curious, audacious, and oddly mesmerizing fusion of the unmatchable: sweaters and evening gowns combined into one single piece, accessorized, of course, with the omnipresent, all-powerful shapka.

Sweater / Gown Hybrid

Let’s talk about the pièce de résistance: the sweater-gown hybrid. Half cozy, half couture, this peculiar creation doesn’t ask you to choose between staying warm and looking fabulous—it demands that you do both, simultaneously. A snug knit upper half transitions seamlessly (or, well, interestingly) into a classic Saab-esque flowing dress, shimmering in deep burgundy. It’s as if a winter sweater and a gala dress had a dramatic encounter on the streets of St. Petersburg and decided to merge into a single entity.

It’s weird. It’s unexpected. And somehow, it works.

Babushkas Kissing Slopes?

Now, let’s talk about these sun-kissed slopes. Because apparently, that’s where this collection is meant to shine. Yes, nothing says Alpine glow like a Russian babushka wrapped in a massive fur shapka, gazing wistfully at the snowy horizon, wondering if her gown will survive the walk to the izbushka.

Perhaps Saab envisions a world where shapkas kiss the slopes before skiers do—because with these oversized fur headpieces, all it takes is a slight gust of wind and you might just glide down without the need for skis at all. Or maybe, in this fantasy, Baba Yaga herself is trading her chicken-legged hut for a chalet in Courchevel, throwing on a burgundy sweater-gown and declaring, “Fashion first, frost second!”

Either way, in this dazzling snowstorm of sequins and sweaters, Elie Saab has gifted us a winter fairytale where glamour doesn’t just meet practicality—it winks at it, flirts a little, then wraps it in a fur-lined embrace. It’s bold, it’s bizarre, and it’s utterly enchanting—like a Babushka’s hug, but make it fashion.

See All Looks Elie Saab Fall Winter 2025-2026