Singapore-born, Kathmandu-raised designer Prabal Gurung today presented the kind of put-together collection that demonstrates why his work has quickly become a favorite of Michelle Obama, Demi Moore, and other women who value glamor, but also like being taken for grown-ups.
Skirts were mostly below-the-knee and waists were defined, and the fit was generally impeccable.
Though it should be noted that the narrow fit of the skirts meant that some of the models, once backstage, had to hike up their hems a little to walk with any urgency.
The colorfulness of this collection was a real treat after having already seen plenty of spring collections that are carrying over fall’s muted palette of earth-toned neutrals and camel-everything.
It was really refreshing to see good, honest, unapologetic colors — turquoise, yellow, red, white, and black.
Gurung told Eric Wilson of the Times that the the anti-Hervé Leger-body-con-Miley-Cyrus message was absolutely intentional. “We’ve had a decade of tight skirts and vulgar dresses, and I wanted to make a statement about something different.”
Gurung’s collection also showed a new interest in embellishment. There were big, three-dimensional swoops of paillettes, and one white shift was covered in clear, rectangular sequins that shook like tiny icicles as the model walked.
And for a couple dresses, notably a black-and-white one worn by the Indian model Lakshmi Menon, Gurung used a kind of rubberized organza and silk that hung from the dresses in soft shreds.
If there’s a way to make shredding elegant, this was it.