Prabal Gurung's three-year stint at ICB is over. The New York- and Tokyo-based brand, which is owned by Japanese apparel firm Onward Kashiyama, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with design director Makoto Takada at the helm. Takada worked under Gurung for about a year, so it's no surprise that Pre-Fall didn't mark a major shift from Spring.
Riffing on the transitional nature of the season, Takada created looks with one foot in summer, the other in winter. For instance, a black T-shirt was trimmed with a weightless needle-punch mohair, and a lightweight chiffon dress—done in a burgundy-and-navy geometric collage print that was repeated throughout the collection—was paired with a matching jacquard coat that was slightly more substantial in weight. ICB's strength is in its work-appropriate wear, and the collage jacquard dress, connected to a burgundy turtleneck for a layered effect, was a standout. Equally eye-catching were the drawstring trousers, which were loose but not sloppy. Both pieces had the energetic, urban look that Gurung was dead set on bringing to the brand. With ICB stand-alone stores slated to open in the U.S. early next year, it's important that its point of view remains clear.
