Zuhair Murad Fall/Winter 2025 Couture: A Sheer Desire – Reviving Hollywood Glamour with Modern Elegance
At Paris Couture Week in July 2025, Zuhair Murad unveiled his Fall/Winter 2025 Couture collection, titled A Sheer Desire. This collection represented a bold homage to Hollywood's Golden Age, drawing deeply from the era’s screen legends of the 1930s and 1940s. Murad reimagined iconic figures like Katharine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck, and Rita Hayworth, transforming them into modern symbols of strength, elegance, and confidence. Every piece in this collection seemed to tell a story, a narrative intertwining classic glamour with contemporary empowerment, bridging decades of cinematic and sartorial history into wearable art.
Murad’s Fall 2025 Couture collection was characterized by sculpted shoulders, structured tailoring, and rich, intricate embroidery. The designs reflected the grandeur and poise of old Hollywood while addressing the aspirations and sensibilities of modern clientele. Broad, architectural shoulders made a prominent return, signaling both historical reference and contemporary style. This silhouette, while rooted in the glamour of the 1940s, resonated strongly with today’s fashion landscape, particularly at a moment when women continue to assert their identity, ambition, and presence. Murad explained that these silhouettes were inspired by the strength inherent in Hepburn’s characters, who always exuded substance and authority. By channeling this energy, he created garments that balanced power and femininity, offering wearers not just aesthetic appeal but also a sense of empowerment.
The collection’s palette was luminous and bold. Murad embraced the “golden” in Golden Age literally, employing shades of gold, ivory, and soft blush tones to evoke warmth and sophistication. Sequins, crystals, and delicate beadwork added layers of shimmer that caught the light with every movement, reminiscent of a freshly polished Oscar trophy. These sparkling elements were not merely decorative—they were narrative devices, conveying a sense of celebration and resilience. In a world where fashion often oscillates between minimalism and maximalism, Murad firmly embraced opulence, creating gowns that were meant to be noticed and remembered. Each fabric, cut, and embellishment was meticulously chosen to communicate glamour without sacrificing modern sensibilities.
In addition to shimmer and shine, Murad introduced luxurious faux furs in stoles, wraps, and oversized cocoon coats, many adorned with beads and cabochons. This addition represented a conscious commitment to ethical fashion, showing that extravagance could coexist with cruelty-free practices. The faux furs added both visual and tactile depth to the collection, creating a rich, layered aesthetic that complemented the collection’s bold silhouettes. Murad’s attention to detail was evident not just in the garments themselves but also in the overall styling, which reflected a coherent, cinematic vision.
The interplay between softness and structure defined A Sheer Desire. Flowing capes, sheer gowns, and delicate fabrics contrasted sharply with the sculpted shoulders and tailored jackets, creating a dynamic tension that reflected the duality of femininity. Murad’s designs celebrated strength without sacrificing grace, power without diminishing elegance. The capes and gowns moved fluidly as models walked, while the sharp lines of jackets and bodices anchored each ensemble, ensuring that every silhouette conveyed both authority and sensuality. This balance, carefully maintained across the collection, underscored Murad’s belief that fashion is a tool to express both individuality and universality, merging personal style with cultural resonance.
Styling further reinforced the collection’s cinematic inspirations. Models showcased retro finger-wave hairstyles, a signature of classic Hollywood, paired with stained lips that exuded vintage sophistication. The hair and makeup design, fully integrated with the garments, transformed the runway into a living tableau of 1940s glamour reinterpreted for contemporary audiences. Each detail, from the placement of a crystal to the angle of a shoulder, was considered in the context of storytelling, making the runway show a narrative experience as much as a display of couture craftsmanship.
The venue itself amplified the collection’s thematic intent. Presented at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the runway was designed to shimmer like a mosaic, its surface reflecting light in ways that echoed the sparkle of Murad’s gowns. The space’s elegance complemented the collection, creating an immersive experience reminiscent of a red-carpet affair in a bygone era. Every element, from lighting to set design, was orchestrated to enhance the cinematic quality of the collection, inviting the audience to step into a world where Hollywood glamour meets haute couture artistry.
Murad’s Fall 2025 collection also responded to contemporary challenges. Amid logistical difficulties in fabric sourcing due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, he persevered, demonstrating resilience and adaptability. This perseverance informed the collection’s underlying narrative: hope and strength in the face of obstacles. The result was a cohesive statement on the power of fashion to inspire and uplift, blending aesthetic brilliance with philosophical depth. Murad’s commitment to continuing his creative work despite these challenges exemplified the dedication that underpins the couture industry and reinforced the collection’s message of endurance and elegance.
Beyond garments, Murad continues to expand his fashion empire. Alongside couture, he has recently ventured into jewelry and handbags, each echoing the same commitment to craftsmanship and luxury. His planned flagship stores in Paris and London signify the designer’s ongoing global ambitions, and the Fall 2025 collection sets a high bar for his continued evolution. By integrating new product lines with couture innovation, Murad ensures that his brand maintains relevance while retaining its signature sophistication.
The broader significance of A Sheer Desire lies in its celebration of women’s multifaceted identities. Murad’s designs honor both vulnerability and power, softness and strength, elegance and assertiveness. By revisiting historical references while embedding contemporary values—ethical materials, modern silhouettes, and wearable glamour—Murad bridges temporal divides. He positions fashion as a dialogue between eras, proving that inspiration from the past can inform, enrich, and transform the present. This approach resonates particularly in a world where fashion is increasingly expected to convey both beauty and meaning.
Additionally, Murad’s Fall 2025 collection highlights the ongoing relevance of classic Hollywood in modern design. The Golden Age was defined not only by glamour but also by the archetypes of strength and charisma portrayed on screen. By translating these qualities into couture, Murad taps into a collective cultural memory while offering new interpretations for today’s audience. This engagement with history is not static nostalgia; it is dynamic, alive, and transformative, allowing couture to serve as both homage and innovation.
Each element of the collection—from the delicate shimmer of sequins to the bold sculptural lines of tailored jackets—demonstrates Murad’s mastery over both design and narrative. The garments evoke emotion and inspire imagination, revealing couture’s ability to communicate complex ideas through texture, color, and form. By merging theatricality with precision, Murad elevates the runway into a storytelling medium, where each model, each step, and each ensemble becomes part of a larger, coherent vision.
Murad’s attention to the global and ethical dimensions of fashion also manifests in his use of faux materials. The luxurious faux furs and cruelty-free embellishments resonate with an increasingly conscientious clientele, highlighting the potential of haute couture to evolve with societal expectations. This ethical sensibility does not dilute the grandeur; rather, it enhances the collection, proving that glamour can be aligned with responsibility. In doing so, Murad sets an example for contemporary designers who wish to harmonize creativity, opulence, and social awareness.
Ultimately, Zuhair Murad’s Fall/Winter 2025 Couture collection is a testament to the enduring power of elegance, glamour, and innovation. A Sheer Desire demonstrates that fashion is not merely about clothing but about storytelling, identity, and cultural resonance. By drawing on Hollywood’s Golden Age, Murad reconnects audiences with a rich visual history while simultaneously crafting a forward-looking vision that embraces contemporary values. His work affirms that couture remains a vital medium for artistic expression, capable of merging beauty with meaning, history with modernity, and sophistication with relevance.
In conclusion, A Sheer Desire confirms Zuhair Murad as a master of modern couture who respects tradition while challenging conventions. The collection offers a multi-layered experience, balancing opulence with ethical awareness, historical reference with modern empowerment, and theatricality with everyday relevance. Each gown, jacket, and accessory is imbued with intention, creating a cohesive world where glamour, resilience, and artistry coexist harmoniously. Through this collection, Murad continues to inspire audiences and clients alike, reminding the world that couture can be both an aesthetic journey and a celebration of the human spirit.