Just who, exactly, is Prabal Gurung, and why is everybody talking about him? Rescu. goes in-depth to find the answers.
When Jennifer Lawrence stepped onto the red carpet this week for the blockbuster series The Hunger Games, she was wearing a flowing cut-out golden gown – and everybody immediately asked “who did THAT?”
The answer? Prabal Gurung.
Heard a whisper of the name? It’s getting to become a shout among fashion insiders, who are all buzzing about his celebrity client list, high-fashion pedigree and spectacular success.
Considering he only did his first NY Fashion Week show three years ago, his rise seems meteoric – but the Nepalese designer has put in many years behind the scenes, working for Donna Karan, Cynthia Rowley and Bill Blass.
So what makes Gurung’s style, and attracts the clients – including Michelle Obama, who’s renowned for wearing the best of young American designers (she wore Jason Wu to her inauguration ball)?
He specialises in innovation that’s wearable – hence Lawrence’s cut-outs, his oil-spill coat worn by Lady Gaga and created by the very forefront of print technology, and the dresses in his current campaign. They’re covered in thousands of tiny petals which move delicately on the model.
Gurung is rapidly becoming synonymous with fashionable forward-looking style, and is not going to be an in-the-know favourite for long.
Rescu. knew he was going to be big from the very first. Watch this space.
Image: Jennifer Lawrence in Prabal Gurung.
Piers Morgan, the CNN host and former head of a UK daily tabloid, is not renowned for making friends – and he’s delighting everybody in fashion by spilling his truly vicious opinions on a few fashion insiders.
The latest target of his ire: Kate Moss, whom he refers to, not mincing words, as “utterly horrific”.
He told an interviewer, “If people actually knew what she was like they would never… be interested in her again.” She is, apparently, “a real spoilt little madam.”
Morgan and Moss have one of fashion’s most infamous feuds. Moss has reportedly kicked him at parties and insisted he be thrown out of venues she was attending. Hence Morgan’s tales must be taken with a small grain of salt.
However, on the grand scale of fashion enmities theirs is pretty small fry. Tory Burch is currently being sued by her ex-husband, Lady Gaga’s on the outs with Tim Gunn, the owners of Hermes loathe anything to do with Louis Vuitton, and that’s just off the top of our heads.
Moss has also been the centre of numerous scandals involving cocaine and accusations of anorexia, infamously telling the media “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”.
Morgan, in going to the tabloids, has raised the stakes in the Moss feud, and we’ll be interested to see what happens next.
Image: Kate Moss.
Prepare to tone your shoulders, because they’re going to be showcasing some intensely glamourous jewels come summer.
Blame it on Downton Abbey, Pamela Love’s out-there jewellery line or a nostalgia for the 1920s, but necklaces which drape over the shoulders in wide, beautiful loops are the hottest jewellery look this season.
It’s a street-fashion favourite, and is increasingly showing up on the bigger risk-takers on the red carpet. Amber Riley of Glee wore an almost armour-like number on the Grammy red carpet. So how to make it work for you?
It might seem like a trend that’s exclusively for strapless dresses, and that is a very good way to show off the designs, but it’s also being worn casually over T-shirts or high blouses. Just make sure the arrangement isn’t restricting and that the colours don’t clash.
Chain-mail effects are particularly in vogue, though the heavier the jewels and patterns, the lighter the underlay will have to be to let it ‘pop’. Beware anything which cuts into skin or gets tangled, and make sure you look elegant rather than caught in a pile of necklaces.
If you’re truly brave, wear them layered over a print shirt, but this is an on-trend look which will only be in vogue for a few more months – so be prepared to put it away.
Shoulder-necklaces aren’t for the office or daywear – they’re purely for night, unless you’re the fashion-forward kind to sling them on with jeans and walk down to the shops. And even that requires a bit of practise.
Don’t wear them over any overwear (coats, for instance), as they’ll probably catch – most shoulder pieces are designed for bare skin or barely-there covering, so don’t stretch them.
Slick on some golden fake tan, or go with pale bright skin – moisturise and you’re ready to go!
Image: Amber Riley at the 2011 Grammys.
They’re a trend which strikes fear into the hearts of women everywhere – so how can you wear wide-leg pants without looking like a clown?
The key, as ever, is with proportion and fit. Wide-leg pants cast beautiful silhouettes for all sizes, even for those of us who think they should be shrouding themselves rather than showing themselves off. If they do make you feel like you’re ensconced or ashamed, they aren’t for you.
They’re also, as with most trends, inherently biased towards the tall. They are, however, a godsend for people who are top-heavy, as they even out proportions, and can make spindly legs or flat bottoms look more pronounced. If you choose the right fabric, they can also be slimming.
For the slender, pick a stiffer fabric to give you some shape, and don’t be afraid of patterns. A brocade might work if you’re willing to bring the confidence, or a casual floral.
It’s an adaptable look which can go loose with sandals or, in richer materials, with a fitted tuxedo jacket and heels. Exaggerated silhouettes can be difficult to pull off if you have curves – the trick is to create flow. Pick a thick or raw silk or similarly flowing material which will enhance your shape. Pajama pants these are not, so make sure they have texture, just enough to move with you.
Wearing them on the hips is advisable, as waist-high looks will swamp you with fabric, particularly if you’re shorter. Look for a slightly higher rise to flatter your stomach, but never go much above the hip-bone or risk looking swathed.
Balance the big look on the bottom with sizeable accessories on top, or wear it plain with a strong lip. It’s important not to let the pants wear you!
Image: Wide-leg pants on the runway.
