Prabal Gurung had a pretty spectacular Met Gala. Among the nine designs he created for the event was a dress for Hollywood royalty—Angela Bassett—and another for a crowned head, Princess Gauravi Kumari. None of the designer’s First Monday in May looks relied heavily on ornamentation, and neither do those in his latest Atelier collection. And not all are snatched—only about a third of the options are corseted, and only two have princess volumes. “I always say my job as a designer, especially when it comes to evening, is to offer options—options that fit in my world—so she can choose. Not every woman wants a ball gown.” This, Gurung continued, “has a lot to do with my time at Bill Blass, but also watching Geoffrey Beene and Yves Saint Laurent. Those three, and I love Armani. There’s this confident assuredness of, when you arrive, you’re not making the loudest noise.”
The fall collection offers you the option of gliding into a room in a T-shirt-like number with gentle curves, just a hint of sparkle, and sheer short sleeves. You step into it rather than pull it over your head, but it has an unfussy easiness that eveningwear often lacks. “Streamlined” is how Gurung accurately describes this offering. It’s one in which romance is added to restraint in the form of a shoulder treatment, a gently cascading train, or a bow.
