His apogee was a slinky dress laden with fat emeralds and diamonds, he said, which a Persian Gulf princess bought for $2.4 million. But most dresses start at $10,000.

Backless evening gowns and frontless cocktail dresses in the lightest, goose pimpleinducing chiffon were the order of the day at Elie Saab's haute couture presentation in Paris. It was supposed to ...