KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 2 Globally acclaimed NepalI American fashion designer Prabal Gurung has been named International Guest of Honour for the 30th anniversary of the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival, scheduled to run from 14 to 28 February 2026. As part of the anniversary programme, Gurung will deliver the keynote address at the Australian Fashion Business Lunch on 25 February. He will also attend several Premium Runway events and engage with fashion students at a local university, sharing insights on building a global fashion career. Festival organisers said Gurung's appointment reflects the event's growing international profile and reinforces Melbourne's position as a leading fashion hub in the Asia-Pacific region. Speaking on the occasion, PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival CEO Caroline Ralphsmith described Gurung's participation as a defining moment for the festival's milestone year, noting that his global influence brings significant international attention to Australian fashion. Gurung, who lived in Melbourne early in his career, said returning to the city for the festival was deeply personal. As the 2026 keynote speaker, he is expected to reflect on global travel, cultural exchange, his humanitarian work with Shikshya Foundation Nepal, and his recently released memoir Walk Like a Girl. Born in Singapore and raised in Kathmandu, Gurung began his fashion journey in New Delhi before studying at Parsons School of Design in New York. He is the founder of a New York-based label launched at New York Fashion Week in 2009 and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Gurung's designs have been worn by prominent global figures including Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé, Zendaya, and Anne Hathaway.