Meet Prabal Gurung: The designer Reliance plans to rope in
Early Talks
Reliance Brands, which has tie-ups with designers including Satya Paul, Manish Malhotra, Ritu Kumar and Rahul Mishra, is now reportedly in talks to secure a stake in American luxury fashion house Prabal Gurung
Exclusive Stores
Reliance Retail, the retailing unit of RIL, headed by Isha Ambani, reportedly plans to set up exclusive luxury flagship stores under Prabal Gurung’s label at its Jio World malls
Who is Gurung?
Prabal Gurung, 43, is a fashion designer based in New York City who helms a label under his own name
Nepalese Roots
Gurung was born in Singapore, but his single mother raised him in Kathmandu. He moved to New Delhi to study fashion designing from the prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)
Journey to NYC
After finishing his design studies in New Delhi, Prabal Gurung moved to New York for a higher degree at Parsons School of Design in 1999. Upon graduating, Gurung landed an apprenticeship at Cynthia Rowley’s atelier
Oprah's Influence
Gurung decided to shift to the US after watching ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’. He said at the Teen Vogue Summit in 2018, “I had no idea who she was. I had just come back from India, and I was back home in Nepal, and there was this show about living your dreams”
Building His Own Label
Prabal Gurung worked at the iconic Bill Blass as the brand’s design director for five years before launching his own label in 2009. Gurung’s label is known for its formal evening wear and structured pieces
Champion of Inclusivity
Gurung is a champion of inclusivity in the fashion world and features models of diverse backgrounds in his shows and ad campaigns. He also partnered with the plus-size retailer Lane Bryant
Taste of heritage
Gurung has highlighted Nepal in his collections by incorporating the embroidery of Nepalese artisans
Supporter of immigrants’ rights
Gurung has voiced his support for immigrants’ rights on and off the runaway. One of his 2017 fall collections also featured a T-shirt which sported the slogan “I am an immigrant”
Celebrity Clients
Gurung has dressed various A-list celebrities, including her inspiration Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Anne Hathaway, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone