Prabal Gurung didn’t let Friday night’s rainstorm derail his outdoor runway show at The Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island, a location he chose because the park stands for freedom of speech.
Models were escorted to the runway by a line of production staff equipped with clear umbrellas and walked it wearing Gurung’s latest ethereal, feminine collection that was complemented by the gloomy, rainy conditions.
The designer is known for leveraging his Nepalese roots for his collections, but Gurung this time chose to flip the script and focus on the idea of “West meets East” instead of “East meets West.”
The designer stated he had multiple points of inspiration. He looked to his family, specifically old photos of his aunts immigrating to America and his grandmother’s floral wallpaper. He explained that he also focused on the idea of a woman traveling from the West to the East and blending both cultures together.
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“My goal with this collection is we live in this day and age where we’re curious about each other’s cultures, but afraid of cultural appropriation,” Gurung said before the show. “I was like, let me find a way to tell a story where we can see each other and not be afraid, so there’s a mix of the silhouettes and the shapes from where I grew up in India and Nepal, and a mix of the ease and pragmatism of the West.”
The “West meets East” focus was seen through Eastern silhouettes and design methods but with a Western spin to deliver styles such as a cotton pleated blouse draped like a sari paired with loose-fitting Dhoti pants and a drop waist, Dhoti-style jumpsuit.
Gurung utilized the floral print inspired by his grandmother’s house in several looks, such as a multicolored matching organza set and a Western-inspired sherwani jacket worn with chiffon Dhoti pants.
The designer introduced linen for the first time, which he highlighted as some of the key pieces. He explained he treated the fabric the same way he treats more luxurious ones, which he stated was a good lesson in design for himself.
“I always check myself in what is good taste and what is bad taste,” he said. “I always want to make sure, where is it informed from? Where is the source? I’m constantly questioning myself, so hopefully with this collection, it comes through.”