In what has to be the first time in New York Fashion Week history, not one buttwoshows have featured at least one chanting monk. The first, of course, was Givenchy’s Marina Abramovic-directedmeditation on 9/11. The second,Prabal Gurung’s, inspired by the destruction and despair caused by the earthquake in the designer’s native Nepal. RELATED: VIDEO: Opening Ceremony runway breaks into dance The show began with a dozen Buddhist monksshuffling onto the stage in their paprika and saffron robes. They thenlaunchedinto a deep, throaty chant, putting the previously punchy audience into a kind of trance. RELATED: Alexander Wang’s show included pole dancers, Lil Wayne and Hooters Then, there were the clothes. Gurung, in recent seasons, hadshown a tendency to overembellishor overthink things. Not here. The collection began with easy cream silk pieces streaked with violent colors andalmost collaged-looking slip dresses that resembled jacquard— a reference to chaos and destruction. But by the end, with a trio offloatyfloor-length gowns in warm sunlit shades of golden and deep melon, it had become imbued with lightness and hope. It was not only a testament to the power of a a fashion show, but of when a designer lets his honest emotions and passions guide him.
