After a couple of toned down (by his standards at least) seasons, Zuhair Murad pulled out all the sparkly stops for his resort collection. The red carpet maestro went for Old Hollywood glamour, citing cinema sirens Joan Crawford and Raquel Welch as his inspiration.
Against a palette of black and white, he used bright bursts of color in chartreuse, magenta, turquoise and deep mint. The Lebanese designer also added structural elements such as shoulder pads to emphasize the 1940s silhouette.
The dresses that have proven most popular with celebrities have been solid, bright colors that pop, but feature less embroidery or embellishment. They’re looking for simple but voluminous shapes going into the next awards season.
Private clients are embracing the sheer trend and strategic beading, thus Murad used Art Deco touches to create geometric shapes and paneling. He also employed cutouts on many looks, showing strategic bits of belly or back for a sexy edge. Minidresses and jackets had touches of beading on the pocket or collar.
Murad played with print this season, introducing a bird and flower motif on pale pink gowns and capes, inspired once again by Hollywood and the gardens of the storied hillside homes here.
He also debuted a new monogram, once again drawing from Art Deco geometry, that he used here as an accent on a trench. A solo piece, Murad was dipping his toes back into outerwear after several seasons away. The monogram also appeared on the cuffs of silk pajama sets, slinky slipdresses and wraps.
The brand opened its boutique in Qatar in April, and is looking at opening another location in the region. Murad has also been working on interior design projects and teased some big collaborations coming up before the end of the year.
