Getty
Lebanon may not have qualified for this year’s World Cup in Russia, but during the opening ceremony, the Arab country’s presence was felt. Beirut-born couturier Zuhair Murad lent his skills to the highly-anticipated tournament by dressing Russian soprano Aida Garifullina for her performance at the opening ceremony of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow last Thursday.
Ahead of the Saudi Arabia and Russia match, Garifullina joined English singer Robbie Williams onstage for a spectacular duet of Angels at the Luzhniki Stadium wearing a white, crystal-embellished gown with an illusion neckline and a peplum skirt. The look was custom-created by Murad, who in the past has dressed Adele, Jennifer Lopez, and Céline Dion, for special stage performances.
Garifullina accessorized the floor-sweeping creation with Bulgari earrings and a bracelet, and white sneakers that lent a sporty and casual look to the ballgown.
The opera singer first broke the news that she would be performing at the World Cup opening ceremony by way of a video uploaded onto her Instagram page. “The news is finally out, I’m so excited to announce I’ll be performing with Robbie Williams at the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony on Thursday,” says an excited Garifullina, who wore an off-the-shoulder Zuhair Murad dress (the same one previously sported by Victoria’s Secret model Sara Sampaio at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival) in the short clip.
The 30-year-old singer clearly rates designers from the Levant. Garifullina has a well-documented track record of favoring looks by Lebanese designers, having previously worn creations by Saiid Kobeisy and Elie Saab, to name a few.
Now Read: Step Inside the World of Zuhair Murad
