NEW YORK, Feb 9: One of New York’s top designers has thrust Nepal onto the map of high fashion, unveiling one of the most exciting catwalk shows of the season, inspired by his Himalayan homeland.
Award-winning designer Prabal Gurung unveiled his fall/winter 2014 season in the cavernous recesses of New York’s Moynihan Station yesterday, watched by a packed house led by style queen Anna Wintour.
Within minutes, a male streaker wearing a raincoat, gold crown, red socks and leopard print thong dashed across the catwalk and dropped to his knees.
A model stalked past him and he flashed his backside and racy thong as usually uber-serious fashionistas cracked into a few titters and security rushed to usher him out.
But Gurung, who formed his eponymous label in February 2009 after studying in India and New York, laughed it off.
The designer has dressed some of the world’s most famous women. He grew up in Kathmandu, and told AFP that his new collection was a glimpse of home.
“I wanted to share with the rest of the world a little piece of me. It’s our fifth year now and, you know, show the world a glimpse of where I’m from,” he said.
Effervescent and charming, dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt, the 34-year-old was delighted to show off a notice board backstage covered with pictures from his homeland.
He travels back to Nepal once a year and loves to trek in the Himalayas, often just with a porter for company to recharge his batteries from the chaos of the jet-set life.
Gurung chose Mustang, a plateau on the Chinese border where his mother’s ancestors come from, and came away inspired.
“I was so taken aback by the culture, the landscape, the colors, but more than anything it was the serenity.
“It was so beautiful, especially in this world where everyone is so chattery you know, so that was the starting point for the collection,” he said.
When Gurung returned to New York, he got further inspiration from oil paintings of friend British artist Cecily Brown, whose prints he also pointed out on the notice board.
“It’s like this chaotic place, amazingly and beautifully colorful and yet so peaceful at the same time,” Gurung said.
“All the prints, all the textures, all the embroidery was informed by this.”
His show featured pashmina and anklets from Nepal, which were made into shoes in Italy, embroidered feathers from India, chiffon from Paris and sunglasses from London. (AGENCIES)
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