There’s an unexpected gentleness and feeling of letting-go-ness to Prabal Gurung’s resort collection, which he says is directly related to his inspiration. “I’m calling the collection ‘The First Light,’” the designer said. “I’m a super-early riser and …I’ve always found the solitude and melancholy in the early morning to be quite beautiful.”
This season, Gurung, who had been looking at the atmospheric work of the photographer Saul Leiter, imagined a woman getting dressed. He aimed to capture that fleeting moment of introspection and seclusion when no eyes are on her. Rather than disturb this peaceful pause, Gurung figured out a way for her to take a bit of that out into the world with her. He did so by designing a curved, collarless jacket and an asymmetric, partly sheer skirt ensemble that captures a moment of control and release in its use of tailoring and draping. Chiffon wafts in the soft yellow of morning light, wafts down from a halter top to drop-waisted fullness. More protective is a trench in a glossy crepe-backed satin so lustrous that it almost glows.
The existence of the Atelier line, which is wholly devoted to evening wear, seems to have created some space for Gurung to explore a more relaxed take on garments that aren’t casual, but are more ready-to-wear in concept. When the designer speaks of a feeling of lightness, that idea can be applied to more than just the weight of fabrics. One wonders if Gurung, an extroverted man about town, doesn’t always want to be on stage. He said he liked “the idea of solitude, thinking and reflection,” in part because it is polar to the loudness of a world “that oftentimes feels distracted and so disoriented.” In contrast, he continued, “that moment when you’re by yourself … felt hopeful. Hope doesn’t always have to be the loudest—and the clothes reflect that.”
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