The World of Fashion: Zuhair Murad
By Waverly Nohr/ Arab America Contributing Writer
It is without fail that anytime a large event is held that requires innovative, elegant, and eye-catching gowns, Zuhair Murad will have dressed at least a handful of the women there. The Lebanese fashion designer has made quite an imprint on the world of fashion and couture in recent years. Since starting his brand in 1997, Murad has dressed some of the most famous celebrities in the world of entertainment. His client list boasts household names such as actress Jennifer Lopez, model Claudia Schiffer, and singer Rita Ora. These are only a handful of the women Murad has dressed in his extravagant and unique creations. The intricacies of Murad’s designs are quite spectacular. Through the use of gem tones, as well as actual gems and embellishments, he quite literally makes women stand out in any crowd. This is quite useful in his particular niche, which has leaned towards dressing women for red carpet appearances in recent years. The Oscars, Grammy’s, and Golden Globes are all American events where a plethora of powerful women have modeled the talented Lebanese artist’s flamboyant, yet graceful, dress designs. Murad said to US magazine, “I design with a mission to make women feel confident and radiant in whatever they wear. The women who wear my clothes are the kind of women who turn heads in any room. Stars like Jennifer Lopez and Kerry Washington recognize the way the exquisite beading and luxurious fabrics in my collections help them to further stand out on the red carpet.”
Although Murad’s ability to catch the attention of influential celebrities is both impressive and inspiring, he also dresses women who have less of a following. Murad’s most recent bridal collection holds back none of the magnificence that he brings to the most important of red carpet events. It is clear that to Murad, a woman on her wedding day should feel, and maybe even more importantly look, as confident and beautiful as a movie star. It is for this reason that one of the most famous women in America, the aforementioned Jennifer Lopez, chose to wear an exuberant golden gown designed by Murad for her 2020 wedding.
With all of his success, Murad’s life could look perfect from the perspective of an ignorant outsider’s eyes. He is the designer of choice for the most desired and high powered clients in one of the most difficult industries to enter. However, last year brought about a complete upheaval in his upward journey towards a coasting success story. The explosion in Beirut on August 4, 2020 caused incomprehensible destruction in the lives of thousands of Lebanese citizens. Murad was not an exception to this terrible event. His entire atelier, which housed archives of his earlier designs, was destroyed. 20 years of beautiful and intricate hard work was lost. To imagine artful gowns that were so passionate in their celebration of exuberance and splendor up in flames is a devastating image, but it was nothing that Murad couldn’t overcome.
In an interview with Vogue, Murad credited his ability to overcome this major obstacle to the, “Resilience [that is] deeply ingrained in [Lebanese] culture.” He was able to present a full collection of extravagant pieces of couture less than a year later in Paris. Murad’s ability to present so much work in such little time is an enormous accomplishment that is difficult to understand. Due to the intricacies of his designs and loss of material and work space, it was an almost impossible mountain to climb. However, he was able to quickly think of alternative methods of working, and his transition to the digital world was smooth and thoughtfully took into account the mental health of his employees. His intense resilience, along with the help of his team members, eventually resituated Murad at the forefront of haute couture and the fashion industry at large. His ability to unapologetically bring light into the world through beauty was not dimmed, and perhaps made brighter, by the extreme difficulties faced by not only him, but by the entire country of Lebanon. His story of redemption and resilience is a powerful reflection of the strength of both an individual and the entire Lebanese community.
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