Sindoor At New York Fashion Week: Prabal Gurung Pays Homage To His Nepalese Roots

Does a butterfly know it was once a caterpillar? How do we fill the fleeting moments between beginning and end, joy and despair? Can moody chic clothes hold the answer? Prabal Gurung appears to be thinking deeply this season. At the New York fashion week, he installed a mirrored square runway that reflected a luxurious blue light display at the main branch of the New York Public Library. His collection showcased the Buddhist concept of “anichya” or impermanence.

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A post shared by Prabal Gurung (@prabalgurung)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Prabal Gurung (@prabalgurung)

In butterfly motifs, wool jackets, and hues of vermilion, saffron, burgundy and dusty pinks, Gurung was thinking of his homeland, Nepal, where he hasn’t been since before the pandemic. He was motivated by a 10-day meditative retreat he recently experienced to “silence everything”.

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A post shared by Prabal Gurung (@prabalgurung)

“In Nepal, we talk about it (impermanence) all the time, what is present and how soon it can go,” he told news agency AP in a backstage interview. He added, “And there’s actually an optimism to that, especially during these challenging times.” The idea, in part, was finding hope “in the dark places”, he said, “There’s light after darkness.”

His silhouettes were sharper and longer this time around, and the asymmetry challenged the idea of harmony. Drapes were soft and provided sharp angles simultaneously. There were fluid, gliding skirts, wool jackets and glitzy golds and crystals.

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In short, Gurung explained, New York Fashion Week for him was a “magical, mystery journey” and “an inward spiritual journey” taken at night back home in Nepal.

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Having grown up with “impermanence”, Gurung said, he wanted to embrace the notion that nothing is fixed, yet constant shifts need not be feared. They must be embraced, he said, and he’s got just the right clothes for the job.

Kelsea Ballerini, who wowed in Gurung’s yellow dress at the Grammys, was among his front-row guests. She was accompanied by Becky G and Alyah Chanelle Scott.