Zuhair Murad Pre-Fall 2022

Courtesy of Zuhair Murad

After 1960s London and ’70s Italy, Zuhair Murad continued to home in on the idea of fantasy travel, this time working an American frontier theme into his always-glamorous wardrobe.

On the one hand, he worked the Victorian vibe of pioneer women into sheer lace dresses, high-necked blouses or voluminous taffeta numbers, which played well with his proclivity toward the romantic. Crafty touches like intricate cotton yarn knits added to the princess-in-homespun look.

On the other, the couturier took cues from cowboy attire, going from mainstays like raw indigo denim cut into jumpsuits or high-waisted trousers that had nothing casual about them to Western motifs, used as laser-cut leather appliqué on the lapels of smart blazers or as bold allover prints.

There is no shortage of brands imagining what post-pandemic glam might look like. But at a time when stepping out of one’s home feels like venturing into lands unknown, who other than Zuhair Murad could take the mottled coats of cattle and — believably — turn them into beaded lace motifs on Moroccan crepe blouses and dresses?