Say Something: Derek Lam, Prabal Gurung

A designer shows, not tells. The audience sits before a fabric message and decodes each look using immediate cues, then is left to interpret at will. But while he didn’t full on spell it out for us, Derek Lam — a man as precise in his words as he is in the construction of his clothes and the vision of his line — left his Spring 16 inspiration in the show notes regarding American singer Nina Simone:

“What Happened, Miss Simone?”

Iconic, iconoclastic. Fiercely feminine…a bold siren…but also tender, like a fresh bruise. A deep soul and an independent beauty, Nina Simone’s life, work and style inspire a wardrobe of femininity for a woman with a voice and purpose.

A black model named Lineisy Montero opened the show that explored what classic American sportswear means today: clean lines and practicality (you’ll need a trench, you’ll need a blazer); a palette that eases into the wardrobe you’ve already built (maroons and light blues and navy, black, white, cream — easy); nods to the frivolity necessary in fashion (fringed hems for the beautiful sake of it, bell sleeves, lace because why not). It was wonderful, wearable, strong, powerful and it made both Leandra and I want to go home and change.

It was a call for the industry to change as well: Derek Lam’s Spring 2016 muse was not only a musician. Simone was a civil-rights activist during a time period when America was in racial turmoil, the landscape was changing and the fight was painful. For Lam to focus on her in this fresh September of 2015 as our country once again struggles amid police brutality and racism may be his quiet way of speaking up — especially in an industry often criticized for its lack of diversity. Where Simone communicated with her voice, Derek Lam spoke through the clothes and range of models, and the message, though an interpreted one, has been heard. The conversation has only just begun.

Also heard: the post-earthquake devastation in Nepal. Designer Prabal Gurung wrote in a letter left on the seat for each guest that he was compelled to do something beyond raising money for the country in which he grew up. “I wanted the world to experience a glimpse of what Nepal means to me,” he said.

Buddhist monks chanted a prayer before the show began. It was a humbling moment of silence and reflection — a reminder of what’s important, followed by a collection of what home means to the Nepalese designer. There were dresses in hues of orange like that of the monks’ robes, paint-strokes inspired by Nepal-born artist Laxman Shreshtha splashed on airy fabrics and shimmering gold sequins that one can’t help but want to romanticize as inspiration taken from a sunrise (a new dawn, a new day — just like Nina Simone so famously sang about) over the same mountains the designer’s note described. The show was hopeful and beautiful — women will want to wear these gowns. For Prabal Gurung, it was a personal gesture of gratitude to the industry for supporting his efforts in relief; a way for him to find light after dark; a way to say something.

Photographs via Vogue Runway and NowFashion.com

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