I worked backstage at the Prabal Gurung Fall 2013 fashion show this morning. I have decided to title the collection 50 Shades of Ukranian Military. Don’t let the name put you off; it’s gorgeous!!! There are sky-high, lace-up gladiator boots with a skinny, skinny metal heel that are a very chic version of an orthopedic brace my grandma used to wear. The heels were so pointy on the shoes that a model walking by ripped a hole in a photographer’s shirt as he was kneeling to get a photograph. There are buckles and harnesses and leather and silk and fur. Christian Grey would be proud.

Working backstage is so fun, but sometimes it feels as if I’m in unrequited love with my hot best guy friend. I’m always so close, yet so far away because I probably can’t afford anything in this collection. And there were pieces that I would probably, no definitely, sell a kidney to get.

The wool flannel military-inspired skinny pants would fit so well into my existing wardrobe. The perfect shade of army green (not too drab, not too bright) jacket with a fur rimmed hood is something that I’ve been looking for but couldn’t find the right one…until now. Even though I rarely wear dresses because they are too feminine for my personal aesthetic, I would wear the army green wool and silk ones in this collection without feeling like an inauthentic version of myself. Even the models, who are usually reticent about the clothes they are wearing on the runway, were animated about Gurung’s collection. Photos: TheCut

Such a cool dress and check out these boots!

Here’s the Ukranian part of the collection. The fabric is so rich looking.

Love, love, love these pants and the jacket and the blouse.

This jacket and I are meant to be together.

The designer was so calm and cool before the show.

Gurung said that the collection is based on empowering women, and the juxtaposition between the leather and silk parallels a woman’s hard and soft edges of independence and femininity.

For those of you who like Gurung, Target will be carrying a capsule collection of his (not based on this collection though. Boo hoo) starting on Feb 10th.

Illysia Neumann-Loreck