Prabal Gurung, the 36-year-old New York-based Nepalese designer, is generally known more for his dresses worn by Michelle Obama and the Duchess of Cambridge than for his activist inclinations.  But since Saturday, when reports of the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal began to emerge, he has been spearheading an effort to corral the power of the fashion world to raise funds and awareness for the country.  In the two and a half days since he first began receiving messages on Twitter and WhatsApp from his family, all of whom still live in Katmandu, and local friends, he has raised $318,196 through his Shikshya Foundation Nepal — in increments of $10 and more.  The foundation is working with CrowdRise on the effort, and it is more than 60 percent of the way toward its $500,000 goal.  “The C.F.D.A. gave me $10,000 and has been lobbying its members to help,” he said by phone from his studio in the garment district, referring to the Council of Fashion Designers of America. “Sarah Jessica Parker reposted me on her Instagram page. Kim Kardashian tweeted about our efforts. It has been incredibly helpful.”  Mr. Gurung, who acknowledged he had not slept much over the last few days, said he was working with aid organizations such as the Red Cross to target areas where the money can be most helpful.  “There will be another crunchtime in a week or two, when the attention of the world moves on: That’s when Nepal will really need help,” he said. “Especially in the small villages that at the moment are almost inaccessible.”  Once the initial flurry of action dies down, Mr. Gurung said, he hopes to hold a major fashion fund-raising event for disaster relief.  Mr. Gurung left Nepal in 2000 to attend Parsons, the New School for Fashion Design, but his parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews still live in the country. “They are all sleeping outside their houses because of fear of aftershocks,” he said. “There is no electricity. It’s raining.”  They have been communicating via social media, as the phone lines are unreliable. In between messages, Mr. Gurung is still trying to design his Resort collection.  That may seem hard to imagine, but, he said, his voice breaking: “This has been the hardest time of my life. It’s a useful distraction.”
The designer, who grew up in Katmandu, is helping to raise money for relief efforts after the earthquake, which affected his family and friends.