Showing posts with label Zuhair Murad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zuhair Murad. Show all posts

29 January 2016

Potential Royal Couture of the Day: January 29

Will we see any of the ensembles from the recent Paris Spring/Summer 2016 Couture shows appear on the royal rounds? No harm in playing a luxurious game of style speculation while we wait for that answer. Click the designer name to take you to the whole collections... 

Valentino's looking to move Crown Princess Mette-Marit away from the prairie and into a more bohemian mode, which seems like something she'll eat up. Given Queen Maxima's recent jumpsuit print excursion, she might be on board too, and with the richness of these materials, I'd love to see some custom designs.

I found several things to love on the Chanel runway, and I'm bringing you the video because these gossamer capes deserve to be seen in action. Capes for all the Monacos!


Elie Saab
Elie Saab's Indian inspiration in this collection produced several gowns that would be lovely on the royal stage, on the Luxembourg or Swedish ladies.

A few more, and by no means the whole field:
  • Giambattista Valli has a few things to cover Mette-Marit's floral needs, if Valentino doesn't get the job done for her this season.
  • A piece here and a piece there at Armani Privé could be possibilities for Beatrice Borromeo, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, or Queen Mathilde.
  • Zuhair Murad, a designer who doesn't have a big following among the royal ladies we feature here, turned out another collection that will remind you of Elie Saab, and those cage silhouettes are tricky business.
  • Yeah...this was not a banner Christian Dior collection. But royally speaking, we see more bespoke stuff than runway repeats, and I wonder if at least Queen Mathilde's royal patronage has come to an end with the departure of Raf Simons. (Interesting speculation that Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen could be named Dior's new creative director. Then again, she was also on the rumor list last time around, and nothing came of that.)
Photos: Vogue.com

10 July 2015

Potential Royal Couture of the Day: July 10

It's couture week in Paris, as the Fall 2015 Couture shows strut down the runway and right onto our screens for a round of style speculation. A few of our resident couture-wearers from Luxembourg made their wish lists from the front row:

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and daughter Princess Alexandra posed with Mr. Armani himself before attending the Armani Privé show, where they sat next to Athina Onassis and Roberta Armani.

Meanwhile, Princess Claire revisited the world of her wedding gown designer with a seat for the Elie Saab show between her mother and Nieves Álvarez.

And we shall make our wish lists from right here (click the designer names to go to the full collection):

Valentino's collection was a mix of capes and dark colors and ruffles, so they've basically just thrown up the bat signal for Queen Máxima and Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Sheikha Mozah to come on in.

Chanel's collection felt surprisingly basic to me this time around, but I suspect it is tailor made for the likes of Princess Caroline and Sheikha Mozah to do a little closet replenishment.

It is possible that this week has left you with a serious thirst for ballgowns. Here, have some Elie Saab. Predictable, but in times like these, it's important to know where to turn.

A sprinkling of other collections to investigate as you pick out what you'd like to see on the royal runway:
  • I sincerely hope the Ladies of Lux did not get any ideas regarding the waist ruffles at that Armani Privé show.
  • Zuhair Murad sent models in tiaras down the runway, practically screaming for some more royal attention after Princess Sofia wore one of his dresses at her pre-wedding dinner.
  • Christian Dior looks are often fully bespoke when we see them on royal ladies (Princess Charlene, Queen Mathilde, etc.), but you never know what might turn up.
  • There's part of me that's dying for noted ruffle fan Crown Princess Mette-Marit to try the end looks from Giambattista Valli, just for kicks. But I think not even the royal palace has hallways large enough to accommodate that particular flight of fancy.
Photos: via Getty Images and Style.com

12 June 2015

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia’s Wedding: The Pre-Wedding Dinner

The party is starting! Ready your jumpy claps!

This evening, wedding guests gathered for a short boat ride on the way to the venue for the pre-wedding dinner. Only a couple of the international royal guests were present, but the headline family members certainly did give us some things to discuss...

Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist
I wondered if Sofia would continue the trend of wearing Elie Saab for her pre-wedding event, as her soon-to-be-sisters-in-law both did. And I was close: she wore Zuhair Murad, a.k.a. almost Elie Saab! (Also the groom was present. He wore a tux.)
Many of us have been hoping we’d see more of Zuhair Murad on the royal red carpet, and I think this couture dress certainly delivers. Just enough sparkle, and with a train (which looked like it was detachable) added to the back to give it a little extra royal oomph.
And the blue is divine on her, no? I love it. What a great start to the event!

The King and Queen
{SCREECH} Well, that escalated quickly. Let’s just say that something had to come in third place on the list of Silvia's best mother of the bride and/or groom pre-wedding outfits (it's a very specific list)...call it the sacrificial lamb?

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel
Okay, this is better! Victoria’s sparkly, slinky number is perfect for this and also for her next Great Gatsby-themed party (I figure there’s no point to living in a palace if you’re not going to throw the occasional Gatsby party, right?).
Crown Princess Victoria wore Jenny Packham, the original model from a bridal collection (the Packham bridal collections always have dresses that are great more uses than bridal, though). She also had a brooch in back in her updo, and you know I luv her for that.

Victoria, Daniel, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit
With many royal guests arriving tomorrow, it was a lovely surprise to see Victoria and Daniel bring part of the Norwegian contingent: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Märtha Louise, and Ari Behn. Crown Prince Haakon joined the party by car a bit later. Mette-Marit repeated the Giambattista Valli dress she wore to Queen Margrethe’s birthday dinner earlier this year.

Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn
Apparently seeing that his wife was intent on a tasteful beige dress, Ari Behn decided someone had to shake things up and tossed a sash around his waist. Sure, man, why not?

Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill
Also skipping the boat ride in favor of arriving by car, Princess Madeleine breezed by in a basic but sort of ethereal maternity dress.

Lastly, a couple aunts and an extra international royal couple, just for good measure:

Princess Birgitta, doing her Birgitta thing.

Princess Margaretha, doing her Margaretha thing. (What more can you say?)

Prince Leopold and Princess Ursula of Bavaria...doing their thing. A very sequin-y floral thing, which is a curious combo.

All in all, not a bad start to a wedding weekend. This entry may be updated later on, and feel free to add more in the comments!

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, Expressen video

29 January 2014

Royal Outfit of the Day: January 29

Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel, then wife of Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, attended the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton wearing custom Zuhair Murad Couture.
Last week I threw out the newest couture collection from Zuhair Murad as a royal possibility; here's an example of the designer's work in royal action. Our subject today is the lovely Ameerah from Saudi Arabia; she was married to Prince Alwaleed, who you may remember as the Saudi prince that raised a stink because Forbes calculated his worth a mere $20 billion when, he said, it should have been more (it seems the couple have since divorced). So it's not a surprise that Princess Ameerah went the couture route for the big British royal wedding, outfitted in a luxurious custom Murad ensemble with a lacy and embellished pink light coat and dress, a matching hat perched on her cascading dark hair. So gorgeous, am I right? My affection for this appearance has only grown.

Photos: Getty Images