In Zuhair Murad’s world, opulence is always in season. Even so, with Resort the designer pushed it one step further by lavishing jewels on clothing, from piercing-style trimmings and shimmying pearls to winking crescent moon embroidery and straight-up Maharaja grandeur.
Focusing on the intricacies of craftsmanship, the designer reckons, is the best tactic for keeping good vibes flowing in the studio. And, as any jewelry lover can attest, such adornments can also be armor.
Here, Murad drew inspiration from the Orientalist trend of a century ago, arranging color, crystals, embroidery and faux pearls into chokers, sautoirs, baubles and brooches or working them directly into the drape of a dress. Day wear was fair game, too: a blazer might have an integrated scarf with piercings—pearls, charms, crystals, the brand’s sunburst logo—running the length of its edge; those elements could also be found on an easy jumpsuit with a panel scarf meant to “give daywear a touch of evening.”
While many shapes here were familiar, the designer also tried a few new ones, such as balloon-y pants that scrunched at the ankles, or a shantung silk tunic with tie closures, seed pearls and gradient floral embroidery.
A restrained palette of oyster beige, baby’s breath pink or black was punched up here and there with sage green or canary yellow, for example on a relatively spare openwork dress. But mostly, this collection was all about jewelry-as-attire. On one dress, a jeweled body harness ran from choker to hips with a sensuality of movement that is lost in a still. A tapestry of gems appeared on a transparent mesh bodysuit that, in some very specific contexts, might conceivably venture out under a jacket in broad daylight but will come into its own by night.
Murad does know when to pull back, however. A pink dress, for example, stood out for its simplicity, embellished with nothing more than fan pleating. Asymmetrical lace placements brought lashings of sheer to otherwise unembellished dresses. A couple of georgette dresses with contrasting lace inlay, and another number in Italianate print made room for a little more romance.
New accessories included brooches designed to wear on jacket lapels, as halter ties, or as embellishments on goddess gowns in jersey. Resort means ready-to-wear, but couture ideas are always in the mix— and what is couture but a space to dream? In an uncertain world, it’s as good a coping mechanism as any.