Prabal Gurung does not do anything half-heartedly and his latest collection most definitely fell under the 'more is more' category. Which is great because why see another stripped-to-the-bones ode to American sportswear when you can have ostrich feathers and crystals hand-embroidered on a mountainous fil coupé scene with a nylon ruched hiking vest detail at the back and some sporty straps trailing behind? Too much at once, perhaps, and a closer edit would have been welcome but you can’t deny that the guy has plenty to say and is pretty keen to say it.
Gurung hit an interesting spot with his collection last season when he visited his homeland, Nepal, and he continued on the same path again – or rather, he trekked there this time. The sporty take on his eveningwear was an unexpected turn for him and it made for some interesting hybrids albeit of the hyper luxe variety. In his notes, he sited his earliest memories being of the visual type; the mountains, the skies, the hills and it all came alive in his use of colour and texture. Some of the silhouettes however felt either awkwardly short and tight or old-fashioned like the long-sleeved and ruffled dresses. It’s a bit like that make-up rule: smoky eye or heavy lip but never both. Gurung did not return from his trip down memory lane with some clean shots of the great vistas. He came back with a bulging scrapbook of collages and feathers and sequins and bits and pieces he found along the way. His stories are definitely interesting, he just needs to slow down in telling them.
