T Magazine | At New York Fashion Week, 48 Hours With Prabal Gurung

It was a dreary late Saturday morning in New York, but Prabal Gurung’s garment district studio — where the designer was conducting fittings for the next day’s show — was bursting with vibrant hues and textures. Design assistants buzzed around as models arrived one after another, each to be fitted into their look for Sunday’s show. But Gurung himself was calm and upbeat. “I’d say, it’s never been that frantic. We plan in advance,” he said, noting that the season before was an exception: “Certain things didn’t show up — embroideries from India that didn’t make it into the show at all, so we had to think quickly.”

The following night’s runway presentation showcased a collection largely inspired by the Mosuo, a small matriarchal tribe living in parts of China near Tibet. “What I really found fascinating — especially in today’s time when we’re talking about solidarity and women coming together — is that in parts of the world, it’s been an existing part of life that we don’t even think about,” Gurung said, pointing to a nearby wall scattered with images of Mosuo women swathed in layers of bright fabrics, cinched and secured with thick belts.

Read the full story at T Magazine.