Nepalese Designer Takes Fashion World by Storm

For so many people, Prabal Gurung is a name yet unheard of . But if you hadn’t, you would have soon enough. Gurung was born in Singapore on 31st March 1974 and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal. He went to St. Xavier's school a reputed Catholic Jesuit school in Kathmandu from where he finished his high school. Prabal began his design career in New Delhi, India. While studying at New Delhi’s National Institute of Fashion Technology, he apprenticed at several local production and fashion houses and designed with Manish Arora. In Melbourne and London Gurung assisted stylists for fashion shows and international publications. In 1999 Gurung moved to New York City where he interned for Donna Karan while attending Parsons School of Design. In his first year he was awarded the “Best Designer” title at the annual Parsons/FIT design competition.

(Zoe Saldana looking amazing in a Prabal Gurung dress! If you don't remember her in the Pirates of the Carribean or Death at a Funeral(American), she played one of the main role characters in Avatar looking like this: )

Gurung spent two years with famous Cynthia Rowley’s design team. Soon after, he became the design director at Bill Blass. Following five successful years at Blass, Gurung launched his own collection PRABAL GURUNG. In 2010 he was the recipient of the Ecco Domani Fashion Fund Award and received a nomination for the 2010 CFDA Swarovski Womenswear Award. He was also chosen by prominent fashion editors, retailers, designers and business people for the {CFDA Fashion Incubator} for 2010-2012. Recently, this November Prabal was awarded runner up for the 2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

Hollywood celebrities and even the first lady of USA Michelle Obama have been dressed in Prabal Gurung dresses. Here, Michelle Obama presented herself to donate her inaugural gown to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History wearing a Prabal Gurung dress.

Here's a video of him during an interview. Also he seems to be talking about Nepal always in his interviews. Here's another instance from a web fashion magazine THE CHIC REPORT. (if you want to skip to his part, it starts @ around 2.10 but you'll miss out on Heidi Klum, Felicity Huffman and so on :P)

Hanging out with the celebs in the red carpet along with the stars like Naomi Campbell, he still is a pure Nepalese at heart who like all like momos and waiwai (even though he kinda has that little annoying way of talking like all the designers). He intends to contribute to Nepalese society in the future and it is his strong desire to build a school in Nepal.

Inspired by Oprah TV show, he has even now dressed the talk show queen herself, Oprah Winfrey. :D The hot shot designer is reportedly also working on promoting Nepal Tourism Year 2011. And I believe (not sure: S) he is involved in the latest project where the recycled arts and crafts from the orphanage from Nepal are sold to Hollywood elites.

If you wish to buy his designer line clothing, here's a sample;