H&M has named Elie Saab as its latest designer collaborator, and the Lebanese couturier has used the project to design menswear for the first time. The Swedish retailer announced the capsule on 3 September 2026. It was celebrated in Paris on 28 September, the opening day of Paris Fashion Week, and it goes on sale online in the UAE, Kuwait and Riyadh on 22 October.
What is in the collection
The collection includes womenswear and menswear, according to FashionUnited. Its pieces range from heavily embellished dresses with shimmering finishes to tailored garments, and they carry Saab’s signature lace and degradé sequins. There are also accessories and footwear. H&M released campaign images with the announcement.
Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative advisor and head of womenswear design, said the retailer was delighted to announce what she called a landmark collaboration, and that customers can expect a magical, ornate and very glamorous collection. Saab said the collection was created for everyone who admires the world of Elie Saab, and described the process as truly collaborative and inspiring.
The first menswear
The menswear is the most notable first. It is the first time Saab has designed clothes for men, and the details released so far point to tailored garments alongside the embellished evening pieces. Neither H&M nor the designer has published a full list of menswear styles. As the launch approaches, the range will become clearer.
The idea fits a wider theme of the SS27 season, in which tailoring was a thread through many collections. Saab’s decision to include it in a high-street project reaches a different audience from his couture clients.
The Paris celebration
The collection was celebrated at the Palais Brongniart in Paris, which was hung with burgundy drapery, on Monday 28 September. Harper’s Bazaar Arabia reported that the pieces shown included embellished evening dresses, refined tailoring and lace separates. The finale was a bridal look: a gown with a dramatic train, a twisting off-the-shoulder bodice and a hand-embroidered veil.
The evening also had a musical programme. Robin S performed, and Kim Turnbull, Ines Rau and Ella Knight played DJ sets. Guests included Amelia Gray, Gabbriette, Iris Law, Anok Yai, Imaan Hammam, Lila Moss, Marisa Abela and Calum Harper.
Saab said Paris had always been very close to his heart, so it felt natural to celebrate the collection there. Johansson said the event captured the spirit of joy and glamour that defines Elie Saab and this collection in particular.
Where and when to buy
H&M gives 22 October 2026 as the worldwide release date, in selected stores and on its website. In the Gulf, according to Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, the collection goes on sale online in the UAE, Kuwait and Riyadh on that day. The date is also the opening day of Dubai Fashion Week SS27, which runs from 22 to 26 October at Dubai Design District.
No prices have been announced. The sources do not give production numbers or details of store allocations, so it is not possible to say how widely the pieces will be available in physical stores in the region. The regional launch is confirmed only as online.
A different route into the Saab look
H&M’s designer collaborations began with Karl Lagerfeld in 2004, and they have become a recurring way for the retailer to bring fashion names to a wider audience. Harper’s Bazaar Arabia counted the Saab project among the year’s most talked-about high-low collaborations.
For the Gulf, the pairing has an obvious logic. Saab’s lace, sequins and glamour are well known to the region’s wedding and festive wardrobes, and the collection offers a more accessible way for younger customers to try that look. Harper’s Bazaar Arabia also used Saab’s own SS27 collection in Paris for its wedding-season picks, which were a blush corseted gown, ivory satin and blue chiffon. That is the couture side of the house. The H&M collection is a different scale, built for the high street rather than the atelier.
What to do before 22 October
- Check H&M’s website and app in your market for the release time.
- Remember the launch is online-only in the UAE, Kuwait and Riyadh according to the regional report.
- Watch for prices and the full menswear line-up, which have not been published.
- If you are in Dubai, the release coincides with the first day of Dubai Fashion Week at d3.
The collection will be judged on how well it keeps the spirit of the house at a different scale. On 22 October, Gulf customers will be able to decide for themselves.
Sources: FashionUnited, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia