NEW YORK, United States — A chorus of Buddhist monks draped in traditional red tunics opened the Prabal Gurung show. The designer, who is of Nepalese origin, dedicated the collection to his homeland, which was devastated by a violent earthquake on April 25th. He threw the fierce, colourful artwork of Nepal-born, India-based artist Lehman Shrestha into the mix, yet the result was the usual line-up of slinky dresses. In the end, the only palpable nods to Nepal were some dashes of red and drape-y cuts, reminiscent of a monk's robes.

The collection had a slender, dancing silhouette and featured dresses that flew along the body with remarkable, vertical ease. Yet they failed to stimulate the eye and the looks soon became monotonous, without a creative peak to lift the proceedings. Gurung certainly has assured dressmaking skills. But, today, building a global brand that can break through the clutter requires more considered storytelling, context and subtext. Otherwise, it's just dresses.