On the cover of January 2007 Vogue Angelina Jolie was featured in a red gown designed by Nepali designer Prabal Gurung. Under the fashion house Bill Blas (which has since closed), Prabal has designed clothes for celebrity women like Jolie, Oprah Winfrey and Laura Bush. And it looks like Prabal's fashion career is just beginning. With the ongoing crisis, many designers have started losing their jobs. Opportunities are scarce in the fashion world but Prabal's new label is already taking off in New York.

Prabal's designs attracted a lot of attention at the recent New York Fashion week with praise in Vanity Fair, The New York Times and High Society. The New York Times wrote: "Nepali Designer Prabal captures a youthful attitude. His style and finishing is promising".

Prabal completed his SLC at St Xaviers in 1980, and went on to study design at Delhi's Nelson Institute of Fashion Technology and worked with designer Manish Aurora. Later, he joined the Parsons School of Design in New York and has since worked with designers such as Cynthia Roli and Bill Blas.

Prabal wants Nepali style to be part of the fashion world. He uses colours that dominate Newari and Dhimal clothing in his designs. Prabal has now become an inspiration for other Nepali designers.