On a recent trip home to Kathmandu, Nepal, where his charitable organization, the Shikshya Foundation, is based, Prabal Gurung reacquainted himself with the Thamel neighborhood, which he knew as “freak street” as a young person. These days, his niece and nephew are old enough to spend their time there; apparently it retains its hippieish allure. “It’s a place where cultures have always melted together,” Gurung said. Paradise found. Thamel and teenage-dom were the two starting points for his new Resort collection, the former because of its freethinking spirit, and the latter because he believes teenagers are leading the cultural conversation in 2018. To prove his point, he pointed to Marjorie Stoneman Douglas survivor and anti-gun activist Emma Gonzalez and his date for the CFDA Awards, the 13 Reasons Why star Katherine Langford.
Given his references, tie-dyes were the stars of the new lineup. Not just T-shirts and cashmere sweaters in the treatment, but evening dresses in a ruffled off-the-shoulder style or a cut-out slip, which were as charming as they were unexpected. Riffing on the hippie theme, Gurung did a blown-up paisley print on a silk blouse and skirt in vivid swirls of orange and pink. Further removed from his typical repertoire was a sundress in humble white cotton hemmed with a bright ring of paisley. He’s a dress specialist (no fewer than two Vogue editors wore frocks of his design to the CFDAs), but the material was new. The easy attitude of that white cotton dress is a vibe he should continue to explore next season. Another noteworthy textile was the pretty black floral lace embroidered in iridescent shades of purple and lavender.
