This is one of a group of 49 sketches for dresses bound in a volume entitled Hiver 1902 Vol. II (Winter 1902) from the Paris fashion house of Paquin. Founded by Jeanne Paquin (1869-1936) in 1891, Paquin was one of the most successful couture establishments at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Her clientele was very wide-ranging, including royalty and aristocracy from across Europe, wealthy Americans, and also actresses and singers and even courtesans such as the notorious La Belle Otero. The vast majority of sketches show Paquin's gowns being modelled by pink-cheeked models , which makes this design for a walking suit in black and white striped silk unusual in that the model's face seems to have been deliberately over-painted brown to portray a different race.

Paquin took the names for her gowns from a wide range of sources, such as communes in France, fictional characters, operas, and the names of renowned artists, intellectuals, and historical figures. This ensemble was christened "Zorab", which is an alternative spelling of Ziryab, the nickname of Abu l-Hasan (c.789-857), a famous Iraqi intellectual of many talents, including music, poetry, and many academic disciplines who was active in Islamic Iberia. The name Ziryab translates as "blackbird", a reference to l-Hasan's very dark skin colour and singing voice. Other than the name, there are no obvious ethnic allusions in the design, an extremely elegant ensemble showing a sophisticated and effective use of stripes arranged in different directions to create pattern and visual interest. It is very possible that Paquin designed "Zorab" for a specific client, whose colouring is represented here to give them an indicator of how the outfit would look on them.