In honor of graduation time, here's a PSA for fashion school grads. Before you launch your own label, consider this: Prabal Gurung's trip to Belize earlier this year was his most extended vacation since he started his company back in 2009. It was a grand total of six days. The trip went on to inform his Resort collection, so technically it was a working vacation. Kids, let that be a lesson to you.
Here's another one: Know yourself and your customer. In the past, Gurung's collections have on occasion looked derivative or felt too overwrought. He righted the ship last season with a clean, borderline minimalist—by his standards—show, and he's sticking with the new direction for Resort, which was a strong outing that touched on a broad range of categories. "The idea is hopefully she doesn't have to go anywhere else," he said. Not a bad plan of action.
For day, Gurung had formfitting sheaths, a nice-looking parka with shearling patchwork, and new takes on the chunky, hand-knit sweaters that have become some of his best-sellers. The sailboat motif he used on a blouse and skirt came off a bit too literally; his floral print will have a bigger audience. As for evening, he did a few familiar fit-and-flare dresses, a sexy sequined cocktail number with a plunging front and a sheer panel extending from thigh to right below the knee, and a pair of gowns. Stripped of some of the beads and feathers he once might've used, each one of them looked modern and graphic. Gurung let his flair for silhouette—always one of his strong suits—come through. Another smart move.
