There Is Nothing Like Haute Couture Paris-Zuhair Murad Couture Spring–Summer 2026: Chiaroscuro

There is nothing—absolutely nothing—like Haute Couture Week in Paris. Not the noise, not the glamour, not the spectacle. What defines it is something quieter, rarer: the feeling of being admitted into a private world, governed by its own codes, rhythms, and unspoken rules. An influencer recently described it as belonging to a secret society. He was not wrong.

For those of us who have worked in fashion for decades, Haute Couture is not novelty. It is home. And yet, each season, Paris finds a way to remind you why it still reigns supreme. The Fédération, the houses, the PR teams—for us fashion journalists there is a level of respect here that is increasingly rare elsewhere. A recognition of work done, years given, and standards upheld. Having spent much of my career navigating the British fashion industry, I have often felt that experience there is not always matched with value. Paris, by contrast, understands hierarchy, heritage, and the quiet dignity of longevity.

It is from this place—both personal and professional—that I begin my couture reportages for Spring–Summer 2026. And there could be no more fitting opening than Zuhair Murad.

Zuhair Murad Couture Spring–Summer 2026: Chiaroscuro

On Wednesday, 28 January 2026, during Haute Couture Week, Zuhair Murad unveiled his Spring–Summer 2026 couture collection at the Palais de Tokyo. The setting was impeccable. Elegant. Immaculately coordinated. The audience, as refined as the collection itself, arrived dressed with intention—couture calling to couture.

The atmosphere was instantly cinematic. On the main stage, a monumental three-metre-tall chandelier descended like a celestial object, casting light and shadow across the room. It was not mere décor; it was narrative. A physical manifestation of the collection’s central theme—chiaroscuro—where darkness and light exist in deliberate tension.

From the first look, it was clear: this was not a show about trends. It was a meditation on endurance, rebirth, and beauty as resistance.

Models emerged one after another, each more luminous than the last. There was a sense of progression—of ascension. Crystals caught the light like fragments of hope. Renaissance echoes appeared in silks and ribbons, whispering of Mary Antoinette, of humanist Italy, of a time when art rebuilt worlds after collapse.

Front Row: Familiar Faces, Impeccable Presence

The front row reflected the international gravitas of the house. (most pictures here by Luisa Yeritsyan)

• Taraji P. Henson wore a chocolate-brown gown from the Zuhair Murad Couture Fall 2025 collection, richly embellished with beadwork and crystals, styled with dramatic matching fur stoles draped at the arms—pure old-Hollywood authority.

  
  

• Jewel chose a black long-sleeve mini dress with subtle metallic stud detailing from the Ready-to-Wear Fall 2025 collection—understated and confident.

• Lady Eliza Spencer wore a black tailored pantsuit with a deep-V cropped blazer, beaded shoulders, and wide-leg trousers from the Ready-to-Wear Pre-Fall 2026 collection.

• Lady Amelia Spencer appeared in a burgundy midi dress with a corset-style bodice and sweetheart neckline, paired with a cropped structured jacket from the same Pre-Fall 2026 collection.

• Other guests feature: Rebeca Riofrio , Audrone Gedrimaite, Kristina Bazan, Paola Turani, Ariadna Gutierrez and Pia Jauncey.

This was not a crowd chasing attention. This was a room that understood presence.

A Collection Born After Darkness

“When the world has endured its longest nights, there is always a lingering breath. Beauty remains capable of mending what has been broken.”

This sentiment lay at the heart of Zuhair Murad’s Spring–Summer 2026 couture vision. The collection unfolded like a silent rebirth—an awakening after dark ages, where art reasserts itself not as luxury, but as necessity.

Silhouettes appeared like figures stepping out of forgotten paintings. Sovereign, contemplative, they carried with them the memory of collapsed worlds and the promise of those yet to be rebuilt. Optimism was rendered visible. Beauty became an act of resistance.

There were echoes of two great rebirths: Humanist Italy and the post-war 1950s, when fashion reshaped the body as an expression of hope. Conical corsets, sculpted waists, majestic volumes at the hips, full skirts, deep draping, and sensual necklines created celestial forms. The hourglass silhouette conversed effortlessly with Titian’s women—powerful, sensual, timeless.

Here, the garment functioned as both soft armour and talisman.

Craftsmanship as Salvation

In the ateliers, some fifty embroiderers work in silence, perpetuating ancestral savoir-faire. Their gestures are acts of devotion. Thread by thread, they seem to repair the world.

Materials were chosen with intelligence and restraint: duchess satin and mikado for structure, faille to capture light, chiffon brushing the body, jersey embracing it. Embroidery was reinvented—silk threads accented with metallic strands and discreet cabochons, inspired by Renaissance frescoes, cathedral ceilings, and time-worn gilding. Precious chains adorned silhouettes like relics, symbols of protection and continuity.

The palette unfolded in chiaroscuro and sfumato. Diaphanous pastels emerged from deep shadows, as if each model were stepping slowly out of the night. Light appeared filtered, colours hand-ground, recalling the discipline of the great Renaissance masters.

Across forty-five silhouettes, the collection formed a procession of women moving forward—sovereign, radiant, contemplative. A beauty that elevates. A humanity returning to itself.

After the night, comes the light.

With my sincere thanks to Zuhair Murad for the invitation, and to Giulia and Ysaure of Brand Strategy, Communications, Events, Talent Casting & VIP DLX, for their exceptional guidance and generosity towards me and my team, including Audrey Gidrimaite. Your professionalism reflects the very spirit of couture: respectful, precise, and deeply human.

Paris remembers. Couture remembers.And when done at this level, it reminds us why we must.