Prabal Gurung said he began work on Pre-Fall by asking himself a question: What is it that the PG girl wants and needs this time of year? Since it’s May, June, and July we’re talking about, he began with simple cotton, cutting it into a fit-and-flare shirtdress or, only a bit more flamboyantly, layering a ruffled tunic-length dress over a lacy skirt. In combinations of black and white, the collection started out somewhat businesslike by the standards of Gurung, who is known for bold color and bolder print, but he spent the rest of it lightening up, injecting bright fuchsia and bordeaux red into the mix, and using an azure blue floral for both a flirty nipped-waist dress and a well-executed pantsuit that numbered among the presentation’s highlights.
As for the others, they likewise showed off Gurung’s terrific cuts. He cut a whip-stitched leather dress with a stretch panel in back to ensure a smooth, faultless line. Sleeveless sheath dresses are such a house signature that he didn’t bother putting them in the look book, but they too fit like the proverbial glove. His finale look was a strapless gown in embossed cotton with bands of Chantilly lace across the skirt. It’d keep a girl cool in high summer or under the klieg lights at the Golden Globes next month.
