Beautiful People 2010: Prabal Gurung

For me, there's no room for diva attitude, honestly," says Prabal Gurung. All to the good -- more room for diva clothes. The Nepalese designer, whose eponymous label is now in its third season, creates gorgeous womenswear -- with an emphasis on extravagant gowns for high-profile fans like Demi Moore (the diva of Twitter) and Oprah (the diva of all other media). But Gurung, who worked at Bill Blass until it shuttered in 2008, is sweeter and more unassuming than the megalomaniacal prêt a porter stereotype. "I'm like a director of a movie," he says of his process. "I'll say, this is what it is, this is the story I want to tell. Then you have the assistant director, the second AD, the third AD, the photographer -- the whole production that goes into the eight minutes on the runway. It's very, very democratic. I believe in that."

A team effort it may be, but it's Prabal Gurung who's at the helm, and Prabal Gurung whose name is mentioned reverentially by socials and partygoers as the next big thing. And after a critically-lauded third collection -- his first to be presented on the runway -- his star is shining brighter than ever. And as gorgeous as his clothes are -- and the women who model them and buy them -- are, he insists he's more interested in what's below the surface. "Mental attributes are more interesting to me as a designer," he says. "My woman is someone who's far more conscious of the platform she has, how she makes use of it to enhance a life other than hers." On his own status as a Beautiful Person: "I can't believe I'm in this issue. I hope it's for my inner beauty -- that'll last longer. I'm assuming that it is." Yes, it is. But with gowns like these, we'd say he's done a service to outer beauty, too.
MATTHEW SCHNEIER

Prabal wears a jacket by Dior Homme

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