Nepalese-American designer Prabal Gurung turns his voice into a call for justice in Nepal

In a world where fashion is often dismissed as frivolous, Prabal Gurung reminds us that style can be a megaphone for truth. The Nepalese-American designer, known for blending Eastern heritage with unapologetic modern glamour, has stepped away from runway lights to focus on a place far more personal, home. Right now, the streets of Nepal are heavy with defiance and grief. Thousands of young protesters, many from Gen Z, rose up after the government abruptly banned 26 major social media platforms. What began as outrage over digital censorship quickly grew into something deeper: a movement against corruption, economic stagnation, and a system that has reportedly long ignored its youth. The cost has been heartbreaking, at least 19 (and counting) lives lost, over 100 injured. The government has since lifted the ban, and the prime minister has resigned, but the wounds, both physical and emotional, run far deeper. For Gurung, who was born to Nepali parents, raised in Kathmandu, and now commands global attention from his New York studio, this moment hits close to the bone. His work has always been more than fabric and silhouette, it’s about representation, inclusivity, and the courage to speak up. Whether casting diverse models or sending bold feminist messages down the runway, his collections have never shied away from politics. This time, his statement came not in silk or chiffon, but in words. On Instagram, he posted a stark black-and-white note, tender yet unflinching. “Too many have been injured. Too many lives have been cut short. The violence must end immediately,” he wrote. He reminded Nepal’s leaders that “a nation’s strength is never measured in force against its own young, but in how it listens to their voices.” To the youth, he offered something rare in times like these, hope. “You are the light of tomorrow. Your courage is the strength of a nation.” It was political couture in its purest form, the cut in the conviction, the embellishment in truth-telling. Gurung knows that while clothes can dress the body, it’s words and action that dress the soul of a movement. He’s not just a designer; he’s a custodian of culture, carrying both the pride of his heritage and the belief in a future worth fighting for. And if history has taught us anything, it’s this, when Prabal Gurung speaks, whether through stitches or sentences, the world listens.