"Believe me, they're not looking for bikinis," says Prabal Gurung of his ICB girl, a city dweller who considers Resort a "buy now, wear now" type of investment. Since the first shipment drops before the end of the year, Gurung focused on punchy day-wardrobe additions that jibe with the rest of his customer's closet, from a sleek menswear-inspired overcoat in true red to a pair of navy-and-green silk track pants tapered to a sleek effect.
The look is very city, and hovers on the masculine-feminine line without wavering too far either way. A red blouse trimmed in a tribal print is softened by subtle ruffles, while a black leather pleated skirt gives a patchwork field coat the right kind of feminine edge.
"It's versatile stuff, but just enough detail to be special," says Gurung. What is particularly special are the techy prints, inspired in a roundabout way by Solange Knowles' "Losing You" video, in that it made the designer think about South Africa, and the colors of Cape Town in particular. (One print is a riff on wallpaper from a random house in the city.)
Gurung's goal is to make ICB a strong enough brand to stand on its own without having to utter his name in the same breath, which is both ambitious and humble. Just a few seasons into the label's revival, it's got a real look, something many years-old brands still can't get right.
