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“I am a voter,” declared the seating cards at Prabal Gurung’s Spring 2019 show, the first grace note on his collection’s inclusive, “no borders” theme, writes Katie Baker.
A few years ago, a celebration of globalism, modern mega-cities, and the beauty of difference would have barely merited a mention.
But here we are now, in Trump’s America, so the casting of models from 35 countries, in a show that celebrated their unique looks and heritages, made a political point and provided an alternate glimpse of the future.
And what a gorgeous future it was: one that mixed lithe young things from every corner of the globe, looking sultry and fresh in cosmopolitan streetwear with nods to local artisan traditions.
The clothes popped with bright colors, from fuchsia to persimmon, azul and emerald; sari capes glinted next to plaid jodhpur pants and slinky ribbed bodysuits; and the designer’s Atelier collection offered up bespoke gowns.
In the program, each model listed their background as they preferred it, from “Ivorian-Canadian” to “Nigerian-Thailandese” and, simply, “American.” The show closed with Springsteen crooning Suicide’s “Dream, Baby, Dream”—a fitting touch, for Gurung’s runway offered up joy and hope indeed.