[M]y relationship with Prabal Gurung goes back quite a ways now: from the CFDA incubator to the successful fashion name we all look forward to at NYFW. Each season, his show is one to look forward to as more of an experience than a runway of looks, and today was no exception. When the entire collection of girls lined up to start the show behind plastic walls, my entire body had goosebumps. Like a beautifully choreographed fashion ballet, the girls stepped out one by one into our world, just long enough to see the translucent look of the heels, Swarovski crystal beading on the gowns, and the surprising and fascinating cuts Prabal is known for. To me, these women look like modern day Barbie dolls, standing behind the plastic in their cotton candy colors and bright comic book lips…but the kind of Barbie who owns her own flat, negotiates her own deals, and picks up the check because she’s somebody in the world.