After a year of social distancing and two digital presentation shows, Paris Couture Week is returning with physical shows this year.

The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode made the announcement with a list of participating designers in physical shows, including renowned Lebanese couturier Zuhair Murad.

Still open to some digital shows, the fashion event is making a comeback with just eight shows that will take place between 5th- 8th July 2021, the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode announced on Monday.

Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad will present his Autumn/ Winter 2021 collection in person, among seven other renowned labels, including Dior, Azzaro Couture, Chanel, Giorgio Armani Privé, Balenciaga, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Vaishali S.

Zuhair Murad isn’t the only Arab designer presenting his collection, as Georges Hobeika, Elie Saab, and Maison Rabih Kayrouz will have virtual showcases.

A limited number of guests will be allowed to attend the physical shows to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On July 4, just one day before PCW begins, the designer and newly-minted artistic director at Alaia Pieter Mulier will show his first official collection for the Paris-based label.

It will mark the brand’s first runway show since Tunisian couturier Azzedine Alaïa’s death in November 2017 at the age of 77 and Mulier’s debut at the helm of a brand.

It will also be the first time that the house jointly presents its ready-to-wear and couture collections. In addition, the Alaia show will take place exactly four years after Azzedine Alaia’s last show in July 2017.

About Zuhair Murad

Zuhair Murad grew up in Baalbek, Lebanon. Since his childhood, he has always dreamt of evading a world of fantasy. He started sketching dresses at the age of ten, quoted as saying, “I don’t recall a day in my life without a pen in my hand!”

In 1997, Zuhair Murad opened his first atelier in Beirut, catering to a growing private clientele.

In 2001, Murad presented his couture collection for the first time during Haute Couture Week in Paris, gaining momentum with international media.

In 2005, Murad launched the first RTW evening Collection, a simpler – yet a line still aesthetical, glamorous, and contemporary, designed to meet the expanding needs of his clientele.

In 2006, Zuhair Murad opened his first boutique in Melrose Building, listed as architectural heritage and located in Bab Idriss Street, Downtown Beirut.

In 2007, Murad inaugurated his Parisian “Maison de Couture” in the heart of the Triangle d’Or at 1-1bis Francois 1er street. The ground floor of the Parisian showroom is dedicated to ready-to-wear collections. In contrast, the first floor displays the couture and bridal dresses and encompasses a design studio and workshop where both collections are created.

In 2010, Zuhair Murad relocated to a new, eleven-story building in the heart of Beirut. The majestic space houses the corporate offices and ZUHAIR MURAD’s design studio, design team, pattern makers, tailors, and embroidery experts.

In 2011, Zuhair Murad kicked off his RTW bridal collection in timeless pieces where romanticism and sensuality are perfectly depicted in all his garments, reflecting the brand’s DNA.

In 2012, the supervisory board of the “French Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode” elects him as a guest member to the Haute Couture official calendar.

In 2013, ZUHAIR MURAD inaugurated its bridal boutique located in its building in the heart of Beirut. The two-floor store brings the ZUHAIR MURAD codes to life with an innovative interpretation.

In 2016, ZUHAIR MURAD opened a store-within-a-store in Kuwait at the luxurious Harvey Nichols.

In 2017, To give a renewed impulse to the Ready-To-Wear and Accessory line, ZUHAIR MURAD establishes a company in Switzerland. ZUHAIR MURAD SUISSE SA will then be the main hub for Strategic and Commercial development and an RTW distribution platform worldwide.

In 2017, a shop in shop was opened in Istanbul at Vakko – Zorlu Center

In 2018, ZUHAIR MURAD opened its first boutique in the UAE, at Fashion Avenue in the Dubai Mall