It may have been a conflicting sight during the NEW YORK FASHION WEEK, nevertheless it was a poignant one. Prabal Gurung opened his runway show with 30 Buddhist monks who travelled to New York as create a tribute for Gurung's native land, Nepal.
According to the Daily Record, the entire runway show was dedicated to Nepal, with garments in shades of lemon, saffron, peach, tea rose and array of orange and yellow. There was no dark shade in the mix. Notable are the lovely white dresses embroidered with orange and yellow, and the filmy evening gowns that seem to float their way down the runway. Fringe and sparkle were also seen in some of the garments.
Before the garments were revealed, the 30 Buddhists monks chanted a prayer of gratitude for all the help they received during the devastating earthquake that happened last April. Thousands of people were killed in Gurung's native land. The first to offer help were those in the fashion industry as Gurung noted.
"When the earthquake happened, the first people that came to our rescue in Nepal was the fashion industry here, and I wanted to show some kind of gratitude to them," Gurung said after Sunday evening's show. "I go and visit the monastery (in Nepal) all the time, and I had this idea, and they wanted to do it."
In support for the designer were celebrities Jennifer Hudson, Hailee Steinfeld, Laverne Cox from "Orange is the New Back" series, Kylie Jenner, Solange Knowles, Bordway's Phillipa Soo, the Bush twins Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush.
Laverne Cox was seen wearing a bright blue Gurung creation. "I've just started working with Prabal," she said. "It's pretty cool. All of a sudden I am here, wearing his stuff at his show."
Gurung hopes that the world would learn a little bit about Nepal during his fashion show. "All I wanted to do is show a little of where I'm from," he said, "and show it to the rest if the world. I hope they'll be enticed to go visit, because that's what Nepal needs right now."
