In normal times, Zuhair Murad is an inveterate traveler. These aren’t normal times, of course, but that hardly stopped the designer from conjuring an island paradise where flamboyant flora like frangipani, hibiscus and birds of paradise were transformed into a kaleidoscope of elaborately beaded, pearled, and sequined creations for hothouse flowers from every corner of the world.
“I know where my client likes to spend her vacations. I was dreaming of a virgin island, an exotic place where heaven meets earth, far away from technology,” the designer said after the show. “It’s a celebration of nature and the beauty of the woman, inspired by the romance of the 1950s and the elegance of the ’60s, more or less.”
It was mostly more. The collection notes described “endless horizons and uncharted landscapes where wild festivities unfold.” Whatever those might be, the designer had a dress for the occasion, worked in varying degrees of exposure. Some of the most intricate numbers featured palm fronds draped over a shoulder, cascades of winking droplets in silver beading and pearls, sequined fruits and vines, and petal-like cocoons whose inhabitants had already taken flight and landed in a stylized motif on an otherwise transparent evening column. One of the more understated looks was a black evening gown with ruby ivy leaves that encircled the waist and glimmered like a jewel plucked from a window of a certain jeweler over on the Place Vendôme.
That look did a good job of channeling old-Hollywood glamour. “I don’t know why, but I was really thinking of actresses in vintage dresses, with the corsets, the transparency, the embroidery, the illusion tulle—even huge skirts like a tulip or in gazar,” Murad reflected, adding that he always takes the feminine form—in all its diversity—as his baseline. The setting, in the lofty, gilded, marbled, 18th-century hôtel particulier Karl Lagerfeld once called home, made a perfect foil.
That Murad managed to turn out nearly 50 looks despite the current context speaks of his dedication to craft. “I was back and forth between Lebanon and Paris with my team, and it was really very tough,” he allowed. Brightening, he added: “But we’ve had worse periods. We’re used to living with bad moments and situations. I think when we struggle, we get even more inspired and we want to prove to the world that we are a people who loves life, loves beauty, community, we love everybody.” Better times are on the horizon, he said. In this lineup, his loyal clientele will be spoiled for choice.
