Prabal Gurung Fall/Winter 2010 RTW

On an upward trajectory since his Spring show last September, Prabal Gurung has been methodically taking advantage of the opportunities that have come his way since he left Bill Blass to launch his line: there were the high-profile red carpet photo ops courtesy of Demi Moore and Thandie Newton, not to mention that cover of O.

His debut runway show on Saturday proved he's got his head squarely set on his well-trained shoulders- minimal to no prints, but a focus on bold colours. Color-blocking proved to be more than simply an afterthought here. Gurung cut a soft edge with his garments, focusing on asymmetry and body conscious motivations that equated to dynamic proportions.

Gurung, however, is best known for his eveningwear- be it sleek cocktail dresses or Oscar-worthy gowns. A black and white iridescent wool tweed coat with wool faille sleeves had front-row starlet Zoe Saldana's eyes all lit up; a sure sign of their appeal both on and off the runway. The finale- a deep crimson strapless draped gazar gown with sculpted black ruffles- was proof positive that Gurung knows how to wow a crowd with both his intellectual prowess and street smarts.