Zuhair Murad’s collection was imbued with an air of dark academia, as the designer toned down his usually wildly inventive use of color with a line constructed in black.
Murad has played with a more monochromatic palette in recent seasons, especially in his couture collection presented last July. All that dark drama seeped into the pre-fall.
The lace dresses were topped with crisp white collars for a look that wouldn’t be out of place on Wednesday Addams. There were also Gothic references, conveyed in patterns that recalled the sacred details of 16th-century cathedrals represented in intricate lace patterns on jackets, or on a shirt dress or white poplin tunic.
The prints took flight in the delicate patterns of magnified moth wings, magnified to create a diffused blur and subtle shadows in shifting shades of grey. Elsewhere she used sunnier references in butterflies, both in patterns that played with delicate symmetry and in 3D embroidery that enhanced the garment.
The color was not overshadowed, with amethyst, emerald and royal blue to ensure great play on the red carpet as awards season progresses, as well as its traditional intricate beading, again playing with the butterfly wings in the patterns of the dresses.
After introducing a new monogram in its resort collection, Murad has emphasized the importance of the design as an emerging symbol of the house as a subtle print on silk dresses, suits and trousers, as well as on belt buckles and an expanded range of bags that now includes small clutches. The emphasis on accessories will also work well during awards season.
