Brands we love, Buying Guide

Saiid Kobeisy vs Zuhair Murad: volume against sparkle

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Brands we love, Buying Guide

Saiid Kobeisy vs Zuhair Murad: volume against sparkle

Posted by author-avatar

Saiid Kobeisy and Zuhair Murad are the two Beirut couturiers most often confused by shoppers outside Lebanon, because both show couture in Paris, both dress the red carpet and both work in embroidery, sequins and crystal. They differ on the body. Murad is the glamour house: sequins, crystal, sheer panels and a line that follows the figure closely. Kobeisy carries more fabric and more movement, the cape, the taffeta volume, the cascading skirt, with the embroidery placed along the cut. This page compares the two on signature, fabric, range, price at Coveti and wearers, and says which suits which woman and which evening.

“Sculpted lines echo inner strength, while fluid drapes unveil the beauty of vulnerability,” Hannah Longman wrote of The Warrior, the Fall Winter 2025 couture collection shown in Paris, for Fashion Week Online on 14 July 2025. “For the first time, this journey extends across both womenswear and menswear.”

Key facts

  • Zuhair Murad at Coveti: 204 pieces; Saiid Kobeisy: 442, $360 to $16,075, median $3,422
  • Both Beirut houses with Paris couture shows; Murad the more established red-carpet name, Kobeisy the younger house with a 2024 Paris showroom
  • Murad: sequins, crystal, sheer panels, a close line. Kobeisy: capes, bows, taffeta and tulle volume, placed embroidery
  • Kobeisy’s embellished pieces at Coveti: 264, median $4,180; its plain pieces: 178, median $2,624
  • Both dress the same weddings, galas and Gulf events; Kobeisy adds the kaftan and the Ramadan capsule

Signature

Murad’s gowns are about the surface and the figure: an embroidered, sequinned, crystal-set skin over a body-conscious line, with sheer tulle where the embroidery stops. Kobeisy’s are about the shape: a cape from the shoulder, a bow at the neck, a fitted bodice over a skirt that cascades, with the embroidery placed where the eye lands and the fabric doing the rest. A Murad dress sparkles standing still; a Kobeisy dress moves.

Fabric and embellishment

Both houses embroider, bead and set crystal. Murad uses them totally; Kobeisy uses them as a line and gives the rest to crepe, taffeta, organza and tulle. That is why the Kobeisy range at Coveti has a plain half, 178 pieces of crepe columns, taffeta dresses and tailoring, that a Murad range does not. The sequin dresses page shows Kobeisy at its most Murad-like.

Range and price at Coveti

Murad’s 204 pieces at Coveti are current ready-to-wear. Kobeisy’s 442 span nine seasons, so the house is on the rail at three price levels: the current season, the recent seasons and the older ones from $360. At the top the two overlap; at the bottom Kobeisy goes lower because of the seasons and the plain pieces.

Wearers

Murad’s red-carpet record is longer. Kobeisy’s sourced appearances are Jennifer Lopez, April 2025, and Sheryl Lee Ralph, March 2026, set out on the wearers page. In Beirut and the Gulf both houses dress the same weddings.

Which to choose

Choose Murad for the sequinned, crystal-set, body-conscious gown that photographs standing still. Choose Kobeisy for a cape, a bow, taffeta volume, an embroidery that leaves the fabric visible, and a dress that moves on a dance floor. Choose Kobeisy too for the kaftan and the long-sleeved evening dress, which Murad does not make in the same way. Three Kobeisy pieces that sit closest to the Murad register, and one that does not, below.

1. Embroidered Long Dress in Jet Black, Style 46 Fall Winter 2025, $4,750

A Jet Black long dress in sequins, with sequin, cut with movement. Fall Winter 2025, EU 34 to 48 at source, shown on the UK ladder at Coveti.

2. Short Dress with Crystal Embellishment in Jet Black, $3,190

A Jet Black short dress, with crystal, cut clean through the body. Spring Summer 2026, EU 34 to 48 at source, shown on the UK ladder at Coveti.

3. Taffeta Midi Dress in Aqua Sky, $2,170

An Aqua Sky midi dress in taffeta, cut with movement. Spring Summer 2025, EU 34 to 48 at source, shown on the UK ladder at Coveti.

Frequently asked questions

Is Saiid Kobeisy like Zuhair Murad?

Both are Beirut couture houses that show in Paris and work in embroidery, sequins and crystal. Murad follows the figure closely with a total surface; Kobeisy builds volume with capes, bows and tulle and places the embroidery.

Is Saiid Kobeisy cheaper than Zuhair Murad?

At the top the two overlap at Coveti. Kobeisy goes lower, to $360, on its older seasons and plain crepe and taffeta pieces.

Which is more glamorous?

Murad, if glamour means sequins and a close line. Kobeisy, if it means a cape and a skirt that moves.

Are Saiid Kobeisy and Zuhair Murad related?

No. They are separate houses founded by different designers in Beirut.

Which is better for a modest evening dress?

Kobeisy, which makes long-sleeved, high-necked and kaftan pieces as part of the ready-to-wear. The modest dresses page lists them.

Does Coveti stock both?

Yes: 204 Zuhair Murad pieces and 442 Saiid Kobeisy pieces on 20 September 2026.

Read next

Saiid Kobeisy vs Elie Saab Brands like Saiid Kobeisy The sequin dresses The edit

More Saiid Kobeisy guides

Every Saiid Kobeisy page by Coveti’s fashion editor Gemma Deeks: Is it a luxury brand?, How to style, Brands like Saiid Kobeisy, The edit, Who is Saiid Kobeisy?, History timeline, Price guide, Where to buy, Sale, Review, Real vs fake, Fabrics and care, Glossary, Who wears it, vs Elie Saab, Size and fit guide, Couture vs ready-to-wear, New arrivals 2026, Paris couture week, Wedding-guest dresses, Mother of the bride, Engagement dresses, Eid and Ramadan, Black-tie gowns, Cocktail dresses, Cape dresses, Embroidered dresses, Tulle dresses, Lace dresses, Crepe dresses, Brocade dresses, Velvet and taffeta, Sequin dresses, Jumpsuits, Kaftans, One-shoulder and strapless, Long sleeves and modest, Midi and short dresses, Jackets and trousers, Black, Blue, Pink, Green, Gold and metallic, Red and burgundy, Purple, White and ivory.

Sources and method

Checked on 20 September 2026 by Gemma Deeks, fashion editor at Coveti. Product facts, the fabrics, the embroidery, the colourways and the size run, are the brand’s own product-page text; counts, prices and price ranges are Coveti’s live catalogue on that date and move with stock; the history of the house, the showrooms and the wearers come from the brand’s own pages and the press articles listed below, each read on the date above. Where a claim could not be checked against one of these it was left out, and where the fitting room is giving its own advice the page says so.

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About Gemma Deeks

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Saiid Kobeisy size and fit guide: EU 34 to 48, the chart and the conversion
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Older Saiid Kobeisy vs Elie Saab: the two Beirut houses compared

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