Prabal Gurung’s Growing Pains

NEW YORK, United States — "This collection is about things that I love, it's as simple as that," said Prabal Gurung in his showroom, standing among a sea of flouncy ruffles.

If only it were that simple. Gurung has been criticised in the past for lacking focus and this collection seemed to be his answer to that assessment. Composed of ideas that have worked for him in the past, the collection featured tea dresses in metallic brocade, tuxedo blazers in digitised florals and a series of patch-worked and colour-blocked knits that ranged from the sleek (a fine-gauge crew in lavender and white) to the weighty (a chunky cardigan that mixed ribbing with cable knitting and white with ecru).

He made a compelling case for layering dresses. A body hugging, off the shoulder knit style was pulled over an expertly fitted black number, with a sweetheart neckline and lace peeking out from the hem. The blouse-y frocks — in particular, a flirty black polka dot style with a pussy bow, and a high-neck lace version with trumpet sleeves — were charming.

But unfortunately, the majority of the looks felt stuck in a bygone era (even if that era was just three or four years ago). If Gurung wants to focus on his signature digital prints and graphic knits, he needs to figure out a way to move them forward. Whatever has him stuck creatively needs to be flushed out.

Read Angelo Flaccavento’s review of Prabal Gurung’s Spring 2016 collection.