NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 24, 2023) — The Nashville Symphony announced today that Nepalese-American designer Prabal Gurung will headline the 2024 Symphony Fashion Show, an annual spring fundraising event that benefits the Orchestra’s education and community engagement programs. Gurung will showcase styles from his Fall/Winter 2024 collection on the runway at the fashionable fundraiser, scheduled for April 23, 2024, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Co-chairs for the 2024 Symphony Fashion Show are Emily Humphreys and Tracy Frist.
“We are thrilled to welcome Prabal Gurung as our featured designer for the 2024 Symphony Fashion Show,” said co-chairs Emily Humphreys and Tracy Frist. “For nearly two decades, the Symphony Fashion Show has presented work from the world’s most innovative and noteworthy designers, and Prabal is no exception. He is a brilliant designer, as well as a generous humanitarian, and we are honored for him to showcase his beautiful collection at Schermerhorn Symphony Center at an event that helps raise critical funds for the Nashville Symphony’s education and community engagement programs.”
“Each year, the Nashville Symphony works diligently to reach new listeners, share a wide range of music-learning opportunities with students, and lead the way in commissioning, performing, and recording new American music,” said Nashville Symphony President and CEO Alan D. Valentine. “We are grateful to Emily Humphreys and Tracy Frist for spearheading the Symphony Fashion Show this year. The funds we raise from this event allow the vital work we do in our community to flourish.”
The official festivities for the Symphony Fashion Show will commence at the annual Kick-Off Party at Gus Mayer on October 10, 2023. The invitation-only event will be followed by a two-day trunk show that is open to the public at the Green Hills boutique on October 11 and 12, featuring Gurung’s Spring 2024 collection. Gus Mayer has partnered with the Symphony Fashion Show for 14 years in securing participation from world-renowned fashion designers and helping produce the show.
“It’s an honor to headline the 2024 Symphony Fashion Show and to have the opportunity to showcase my newest collection at the beautiful Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville,” said Prabal Gurung. “I am passionate about artistic expression in every form, so it’s truly a joy to support the Nashville Symphony’s educational programs through this wonderful event. I look forward to celebrating fashion, music and the arts with the vibrant city of Nashville next spring.”
Prabal Gurung launched his eponymous collection in February 2009 with a philosophy encompassing modern luxury, indelible style and an astute sense of glamour. Born in Singapore and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal, Gurung began his design career in New Delhi before moving to New York to finish his education at Parsons The New School for Design. Upon graduating, Gurung spent two years with Cynthia Rowley’s design and production teams. Soon after, he was appointed design director at the iconic Bill Blass, a post he held for five years until launching his own collection, PRABAL GURUNG. A focus on quality and innovation has placed Gurung at the forefront of American fashion with designs worn by leading ladies including First Lady Michelle Obama and The Duchess of Cambridge, to name a few.
The Symphony Fashion Show started in 2006 to raise awareness and funds in support of the world-renowned Nashville Symphony and its educational and community engagement programs. Past designers have included Carolina Herrera, Brandon Maxwell, Lela Rose, and Monique Lhuillier. The 2024 Symphony Fashion Show will be co-chaired by Emily Humphreys and Tracy Frist, with Sandra Lipman, who has been involved with the Symphony Fashion Show since it began, serving again as executive chairman. Event planner Bruce Pittman will coordinate the event.
The Symphony Fashion Show, presented by Gus Mayer, will be held April 23, 2024, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. More details, including the emcee and entertainer, will be announced at a later date. For more information on Nashville Symphony, please visit nashvillesymphony.org. For more information on Prabal Gurung, please visit prabalgurung.com.
ABOUT NASHVILLE SYMPHONY
The GRAMMY® Award-winning Nashville Symphony has earned an international reputation for its innovative programming and its commitment to performing, recording, and commissioning works by America’s leading composers. With more than 140 performances annually, the orchestra offers a broad range of classical, pops and jazz, and children’s concerts, along with an extensive selection of education and community engagement programs. The Nashville Symphony has released 40 internationally distributed recordings on Naxos, which have received 27 GRAMMY® nominations and 14 GRAMMY® Awards, making it one of the most active recording orchestras in the country. The orchestra has also released recordings on Decca, Deutsche Grammophon and New West Records.
In addition to support from Metro Arts and Tennessee Arts Commission, Nashville Symphony is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP5534 awarded to the State of Tennessee by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Nashville Symphony is also supported in part by an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support general operating expenses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABOUT PRABAL GURUNG
Prabal Gurung launched his eponymous collection in February 2009 with a philosophy encompassing modern luxury, indelible style and an astute sense of glamour. Gurung was born in Singapore and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal. After beginning his design career in New Delhi, he moved to New York to finish his studies at Parsons The New School for Design. Upon graduating, Gurung spent two years with Cynthia Rowley’s design and production teams. Soon after, he was appointed design director at the iconic Bill Blass, a post he held for five years until launching his own collection, PRABAL GURUNG. A focus on quality and innovation has placed Gurung at the forefront of American fashion with designs worn by leading ladies including First Lady Michelle Obama and The Duchess of Cambridge, to name a few. Notable accolades include the 2010 Ecco Domani Fashion Fund Award, 2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund runner up, with various additional honors over the course of his career to present. In 2022, Gurung was honored as the Designer of the Year at the American Image Awards, was awarded the Humanitarian Award at the 38th Annual Night of the Stars Gala, and won the Positive Social Influence Award as a member of the Slaysians at the CFDA Awards. Gurung was also elected as Vice Chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, beginning his role in January 2023.
