Prabal Gurung presented his Fall 2023 Collection, titled Anichya (Impermanence), on Friday night in the New York Public Library. The collection was inspired by the designer’s 10 day long meditation retreat, a completely silent experience where no phones, exercise, or reading were permitted. The silence of his retreat led to an eruption of thought in the designer’s mind; with his thoughts circulating around how to find balance in between moments of both joy and despair. 

“This experience reminded me of my time with my mother in Nepal, a mythical place, rich with tradition and spirituality, constantly flowing between silence and patience; yesterday and tomorrow; humanity and the heavens,” read the show notes. “This collection is a spiritual awakening through the lens of impermanence and metamorphosis – the ideas that nothing is fixed and all are constantly in flux. Change provokes a sense of optimism, that everything is ever evolving. This is the beauty of impermanence that rather than fear it, one must embrace it.”

Impermanence through the lens of Gurung was most centered around the pattern of butterfly wings, a print that was consistent throughout the collection in the form of slinky draped dresses and thick knit sweaters, before being abstracted in the construction of texturally embroidered silk organza and chiffon jackets. This idea of the butterfly is paramount to Gurung’s conceptual impermanence; the fleeting nature of the insect seems to be a reflection of the designer’s meditations from his retreat. This lightweight and floating feeling was further expressed with a large presence of draped silks, in the forms of gowns, mini dresses, and blouses.

In opposition to the light and airy feeling that grounded the collection, there were moments where the concept of impermanence felt heavier. Leather trousers, mini dresses, and tops were in line with this darker mood, in opposition to the more joyful pieces. Some mini dresses are severely asymmetrical in their construction, acting as a vessel for Gurung to speak to the often quick and stark contrast that comes between joy and despair. Throughout the collection, the color choices remained bold and stacks of bangles made for an exciting accessorization in some of the more restrained looks.

There is simultaneously an edge as well as a joy that Gurung is attempting to show on the runway, with some looks appearing as vivid and celebratory while others are clearly moody and darker. As far as impermanence goes, there are moments of confusion; for the collection, this was perhaps seen in the moments where the darkness and joy met in the middle. In moments where silk, fur, leather, and pinstripes meet, where there is an almost overwhelming culmination of thoughts.