Fall 2023 Haute Couture: Zuhair Murad's Night Garden
The Fall 2023 Couture Collection of Zuhair Murad marked a significant departure for the couturier. Moving away from his usual inclination to craft collections filled with vibrant and saturated colors, Zuhair Murad embraced the elegance of black, his favourite colour.
The Lebanese designer was inspired by the mystery of the night where secret lives and the unseen are revealed by a gentle burst of moonlight. This nocturnal theme was full of gothic and medieval references that inspired some of the silhouettes.
In his night garden, roses blossom in organza clustering together in dangerous bouquets, taking on a dark allure in shades of black, full red, lilac, and mauve. A majestic black rose stands tall at the junction between a velvet bodice and an opulent skirt adorned with a motif of roses in fil coupé jacquard, while cluster of roses also adorned shoulders and decorated the length of a skirt.
Murad’s garden is also populated with spiders embroidered on a belted leather trench coat and their glittering webs, embroidered on the bodice of gowns or forming a macrame silvery mesh , glistening silver moths in shades of purple decorate a black velvet jacket, while the motif of the bat, the queen of the night, is not only rendered in embroideries but also inspiring some of the designs, such as the contours of a collar or the wing of a bustier.
Lightening on the embroideries, the designer plays with the juxtaposition of different exquisite laces to create a seductive collection. For the first time in his couture collections, he also used latex on bodices and gloves.
