SPRING 2018 READY-TO-WEAR Prabal Gurung
Prabal Gurung’s show began with the Activist’s Prayer: “Grant me the strength to change the things I cannot accept.” His political awakening has played out on his runways. Last season Gurung diversified his casting and sent the models out for the finale in slogan tees. The season before that, inspired by Gloria Steinem, he lifted quotes from prominent feminists for embroideries and prints. Tonight Steinem was his guest of honor, and his runway was more diverse than ever, with the Hadid sisters, Ashley Graham, and Andreja Pejic among the boldfacers. Gurung is using his platform to promote change, and in a Fashion Week taking place among headlines about Hurricane Irma and other global catastrophes, that made this show feel vital.
The collection had an appealing directness, as well. Over the past few seasons, Gurung has turned cut-outs trimmed with rouleau buttons into a key signature; this time around he added them to ribbed knit dresses and, most effectively, a deep-hemmed sweater. Some of his clients will probably take to wearing the top portion only. Those ribbed knits came in cerulean blue, grape, and egg yolk yellow, and if he was bold with his use of color, he took playful risks with plaid, too, clashing two different patterns on an attractive asymmetrically draped goddess dress. The corsetry boning on high-waisted shorts, in contrast, came across a little heavy, especially when paired with an ornately ruffled blouse. And he missed an opportunity by not sending out a pantsuit or another covered-up option for Steinem. Age diversity is the next runway frontier for Gurung. The mixed floral-print dresses slit to the hip on one side that closed the show were inevitably youthful, but they were charmers.
source : www.vogue.com