From his studio in Beirut, Zuhair Murad has been conquering red carpets all over the world—Jessica Chastain closed out this year’s Cannes Film Festival in one of his embellished gowns, a white crepe number with a burst of red crystals.
But lately the designer has also been listening to the clients and friends who are clamoring for more day-appropriate looks. The fairy-tale element is still very much in play—that’s Murad’s home turf—but this season it has cropped up with a lighter touch that is both welcome and savvy.
With a pin-striped hourglass suit and a sprinkling of gold beads, the designer nodded to ’40s Surrealism, a theme that resurges elsewhere in jewel-inspired placed embroidery. A cinched dress in soft pink cotton eyelet with black trim at the waist and cuffs amped up the romance, while a trench with lace inserts on the sleeves and back provided that wardrobe basic with Murad’s signature femininity. Light cotton dresses with lace inserts gave full-on seduction a welcome breather, yet flirty knit numbers with short pleated skirts and ruffle details stopped short of innocent. Flowing castle-in-the-clouds prints on peasant blouses or short and long dresses would not look out of place in Ibiza or any other casual-chic resort destination. Neither, for that matter, would the midnight blue pajama ensemble with the star print.
True to form, Murad revisited the season’s fairyland motif in a fully sequined, royal blue gown with silver beading. It’s a showstopper, all right. But all-out seduction can be a lot of work. The softer, flower-strewn pink dresses looked younger, more grounded, and more of-the-moment. It will be interesting to follow where else the designer decides to go with this new mood.
