Séduisante, Séductrice… Sérénissime

The long months of mask-wearing that followed the burst of the pandemic inspired Zuhair Murad to create a collection instilled with the spirit of the city where masks are quintessential: Venice.

For winter22, the couturier is reinventing the flamboyance of the Serenissima where subtle Oriental influences prevail. He pays tribute to the City of the Doges which, while fighting invasions and battling diseases never let go of its passion for luxury, arts and beauty, its best weapons against collapse.

And in between calli and canals, churches and grandiose palaces that stand indifferent to the rising waters, unfolds the vision of a contemporary Venetian festival where the strings of Paganini’s violin vibrate as gondolas pass by: “O mamma, mamma cara”…

At night, in the dark passages, tales of dangerous encounters and passionate embraces unfold. Under the crumpling of silk and the opulent capes sometimes stolen from a painting by Carpaccio, identity ceases to matter; we are who we want to be.

Light does not have the same reflections here as it has elsewhere, filtered by stained glass windows and Murano chandeliers, melted by glassmakers who hold all the secrets of alchemists. Vines and crystals, iridescent glass with unreal hues, “fourreau” night gowns draped with large transparent capes woven with the material that dreams are made of…

Enchanted combinations of crystal garlands, long dresses of patrician hostesses, oriental princess kaftans thrown on revisited Renaissance outfits, crazed with chiffon: A festival of bare shoulders and curves revealed through daring slits and wise asymmetries.

Capes and long gloves in embroidered tulle are inspired by the timeless codes of the Venetian Carnival. Velvet, chiffon, taffeta, faille and metallic organza reinterpret timeless classics. Silver lurex brings a modern note to a magnetic theme.

The molten glass becomes embroidery. Patchwork, a staple of the Venetian spirit, is rendered in fascinating haute couture. Scoop necks, asymmetrical necklines, puffed and cap sleeves wrap the collection in an aura of luxury that evokes the festive resistance of a city whose talents, refinement and know-how will endlessly remain, the ultimate bulwark against adversity.

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