What separates 'being derivative of' from 'being in dialogue with' ?
I'd suggest it turns on the designer's intentionality and the depth to which cultural references are mined and applied.
Prabal insists there's some depth behind his work, never just clothes for the sake of clothes and if you read his blog before wantonly alleging plagiarism you might find yourself holding your tongue.
'Uncursed' was the title of the collection. Moving from dark to light in both garment palette and casting in terms of hair colour (with Paul Hanlon channeling Carrie). Personally I could have done with just staying cursed with the darkly intelligent, dangerous brunettes in their neoprene strides with kick flares, archbishop visor hats by Treacy, patent dog collars, petrol neoprene detailing, thigh splits, lbd's with sexy cutaways. And into the liquified steers skull digiprints inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe. And the digiprints inspired by the biogenetically engineered blue rose. Science over nature, sex, death and shivers down the spine aplenty.
The collection somewhat wimpered out once the blondes took the runway in their tulle and ruffles girly lightness. It's that tendancy to frou that's been Mr Gurung's achilles heel in his back catalogue. But for the first 23 looks here we saw the birth of a designer who does sexy intelligent darkness up there, and in dialogue with, the best of them.
..everyone Rips-Off something or someone without realizing it.
it's not great but it's not awful collection just lukewarm imho
