World-renowned designer Prabal Gurung inspires next generation of fashion talent at RMIT

Prabal Gurung, the Kathmandu-born, New York-based designer whose label has dressed everyone from Michelle Obama to Lady Gaga, joined the Dean of the School of Fashion & Textiles, Professor Alice Payne at RMIT’s Brunswick campus for a masterclass in creativity and the business of fashion, enabled by Paypal Melbourne Fashion Festival, Visit Victoria and City of Melbourne.

Returning to a campus environment for the first time in some years, he reflected that the experience felt like déjà vu. "I'm really excited for all students beginning this incredible journey and congratulate them for the courage to pursue what makes them happy," he told the room.

Drawing on his own beginnings studying at National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi before moving to Parsons School of Design in New York, Gurung spoke candidly about the uncertainty that comes with choosing a creative life. "I vividly remember the gamut of emotions I felt when I started studying, not knowing what life had in store for me. When I decided to be a fashion designer as a young person in Nepal, there were no role models. Fashion design was treated as a hobby, not a vocation. Thankfully, my parents believed in my pursuit of joy."

That spirit of joy, he argued, is not a luxury but a necessity and something Melbourne, like New York, has a rare capacity to nurture. "New York is the place where misfits in their own hometowns come to find themselves," he said. "When I arrived, I instantly felt the beat of the city matched the beat of my heart and my ambitions." For many students in the room, beginning their own journey in Melbourne, the parallel was not lost.

Third year Bachelor of Fashion (Design) student, Danish Fizal said, "Hearing Prabal speak about not ‘fitting in’ growing up, and the expectations placed on him about how he was supposed to behave as a man really hit home for me.”

“After arriving in Melbourne from Malaysia to study at RMIT, I've slowly found my own voice, but there are still moments of doubt, particularly as I enter the industry. The message that staying true to yourself is actually what unlocks your creativity is something I'll carry with me as I finish my degree," Fizal said. 

Gurung was emphatic about the importance of owning your own story. "You're who you are, where you come from, messy or perfect, it doesn't matter. That's your identity, your story. Nobody else can tell it." His broader dream, he shared, is to see creative people "authentically celebrate their ancestors, themselves, and make waves for future generations."

Asked what advice he would offer his younger self and by extension, the students sitting before him, Gurung's answer was:

Allow yourself the grace to make mistakes, be messy, be curious, constantly learn. Doubts are good — insecurity means you care. 

He also spoke openly about a period in his career when outside noise began to drown out his own creative voice. "There comes a time when you're creating and growing, you get noticed, and more and more opinions come in. As creative people, we're inherently empathetic. I started caring too much about the opinions of buyers and editors and I got lost. There were one or two collections where I didn't see myself. I needed to take a step back. It didn't serve me."

On the question of advocacy and the pressure creatives can feel to respond to every social issue, Gurung was adamant: "Our job as creative people is to create. You can't tackle every ideology. I want you to be free of that burden, because that weight can really affect your work."

Professor Payne said welcoming Gurung to campus was a milestone moment for commencing Bachelor of Fashion (Design), Bachelor of Fashion (Enterprise) and Bachelor of Fashion Sustainability students and the School. "We were thrilled to welcome Prabal - one of the most influential fashion designers working globally and a true champion for diversity and inclusion across the industry - to our Brunswick campus during orientation week. These are the types of industry-embedded experiences that set RMIT apart for our students."

Payne said she hoped Gurung's encouragement to extend grace to yourself through mistakes was something students would carry with them long after orientation week. “The talk offered students many moments to nourish and sustain them across their creative journeys ahead.”

Gurung’s visit was made possible by PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival (supported by the Victorian Government) where he delivered a keynote, attended premium runway shows and presented at the National Graduate Showcase alongside Festival CEO Caroline Ralphsmith.

Learn more about studying Fashion & Textiles at RMIT.