On an upward trajectory since his Spring show last September, Prabal Gurung has been methodically taking advantage of the opportunities that have come his way since he left Bill Blass to launch his line: there were the high-profile red carpet photo ops courtesy of Demi Moore and Thandie Newton, not to mention that cover of O, The Oprah Winfrey magazine. His debut runway show on Saturday–easily one of this week’s most coveted tickets (think Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang level)–proved he’s got his head squarely set on his well-trained shoulders, not to mention well-tailored hands.
The first few looks captured the essence of Gurung’s design aesthetic: minimal to no prints, but a focus on bold colors (to wit, the opening curvilinear coat was white in front but black in back). Color-blocking proved to be more than simply an afterthought here. Gurung cut a soft edge with his garments, focusing on asymmetry and body conscious motivations that equated to dynamic proportions suitable for both the downtown “It” girls he counts among his posse and their uptown mothers. The camel pieces were simply divine. Gurung, however, is best known for his eveningwear–be it sleek cocktail dresses or Oscar-worthy gowns. On the runway and shown in motion, the fruits of his intense laboring were visible–if not, at times, a tad too fussy. A black and white iridescent wool tweed coat with wool faille sleeves had front-row starlet Zoe Saldana’s eyes all lit up; a sure sign that the appeal both on and off the runway. The finale–a deep crimson strapless draped gazar gown with sculpted black ruffles–was proof positive that Gurung knows how to wow a crowd with both his intellectual prowess and street smarts.
