Awash in summery colour, models in sleek dresses and dos seemed to drift across the catwalk like a school of tropical fish for Prabal Gurung this season. To the hypnotic tune of The Cure’s ‘A Forest’, the young designer sent out multi-hued sculptural dresses with geometric blocks of colour, and red-carpet-ready floor-length numbers in silk crêpe, chiffon, fine jersey and an ultra-streamlined ‘stretch-scuba’ fabric, which are sure to be coveted by his many celebrity fans. Following the initially vibrant pieces came a slew of bleached and neutral-hued pared-back dresses and separates, and a commanding high-collared knee-length spring coat. There were some interesting architectural forms on show – dresses with sinuous folds of fabric along the front, extreme hour-glass silhouettes, ostrich plume-like puffball skirts and flowing gowns with risqué asymmetric slivers of mesh that invested the otherwise quite conventional designs with youth and sex appeal. Like fellow New York label, Ohne Titel, Gurung conceives his super form-fitting garments in experimental materials; this season employing translucent technical mesh, stretch scuba, plastic paillettse and rubberised jersey alongside natural fabrics – a smart move as it sets his namesake designs apart from the tailored confections he produced as Design Director of Bill Blass. This is just Gurung’s third season at the helm of his own line, and against the odds he has created a brand with an identity people are buying into, despite economic instability.

Report by Indigo Clarke on 11 September 2010.