Prabal Gurung Spring 2027: ‘Ray of Light’

by · WWD
Prabal Gurung Spring 2027 Ready-to-Wear CollectionCourtesy of Prabal Gurung

Similar to the rainbow at the end of “Noah’s Ark,” Prabal Gurung’s spring show offered a “Ray of Light” to Nepal, his home country that’s still reeling in the aftermath of last month’s catastrophic flood.

It began as an almost euphoric red light illuminating from inside the Petzel Gallery as if to symbolize the dawn of a new day, the future coming into focus. 

It was a delight to see Gurung rediscover his focus on the runway. Clean lines offset gestural shapes of a midcentury quality in bright blocked colors that hit like an early-morning espresso shot.

Mornings are sacred to Gurung and, continuing the theme from his resort collection, he recalled two encounters from the wee hours when most people are sleeping. The first was of Nepalese women washing their shawls in communal water fountains known as dhunge dharas and the second was of a Brooklyn raver dancing with a boa, her hair strung with jasmine and marigold.

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Although they took place on opposite ends of the planet, Gurung said the joy he felt was the same. “This is about freedom,” he explained. “Not freedom as a slogan T-shirt, freedom to inhabit yourself, your body, to have sovereignty over it.”

One could sense that freedom in strapless maxis whirled around the body like towels tucked beneath the armpit or knotted between the hips. The latter gave a distinctive slant in profile, recalling queens in Egyptian hieroglyphs. 

Walking slowly on flat thong sandals with loose tendrils, the models had a regal quality that carried through to fabulous bubble-shaped evening jackets and gowns with the raver’s flowers and feathers reimagined as couture-level embellishment. “But these are obviously not rave clothes,” Gurung said, adding that fashion’s been corsetry-maxing for too long and he’s over it.

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While sheer layers only briefly hinted at boning underneath, the fantasy that these complicated garments were draped purely on a whim never ceased. And we could dream for a little while longer.