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Gaurav Gupta is one courtier who requires no introduction. The fashion connoisseur has had an expansive legacy over the years that has traversed home ground and international territories. His clientele have been known to sport his silhouettes at prestigious events like the Oscars, Festival de Cannes, the Emmy Awards, and the Tony Awards. Futuristic in its approach but rooted in Indian aesthetics and traditions, these are the brand aesthetics he wants to showcase to the world. Over the years, he has designed for not only Bollywood superstars such as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Deepika Padukone, but his career also boasts some of the biggest International stars he has designed for, with names such as Cardi B, Jennifer Hudson, Lizzo, and Megan The Stallion, to name a few. The ace designer speaks about the inspiration for creating this world, making India proud far and wide on global levels and what makes his brand a beeline for stars to grace such esteemed events.
The Oscars, Emmys, Cannes, Tonys, Grammys—there’s no coveted International platform where a Gaurav Gupta design hasn’t been showcased—do you recall the initial phase of gaining this momentum?
I think it all started five years ago with Saweetie. And then Megan Thee Stallion wore us for The Oscars and from then on it started like wildfire. Cardi B then wore us for the first time for her music video No Love, Jennifer Hudson wore us for Producers Guild, and then we started gaining momentum, one after the other, after we started working with Maison Bose.
Your brand is both futuristic and also deeply Indian at its core…
It’s been over 18 years that I have carved the world of Gaurav Gupta, which is Indian at its core and boundless in its form. We have mastered the art of merging indigenous Indian construction and embellishing techniques with our idea of the future. Whether it’s the traditional textiles, or ancient Indian embroideries like zardozi, aari work, nakshi, dabka, etc., we have used all that to invent and reinvent our future primitive aesthetic.
Not only International stars but your client list has Indian stars who have worn your design at International events. Tell us how you inculcate your Indian roots when designing for them.
It is always a collaboration when you design such icons. And inculcating our Indian roots is something that the brand already has in its DNA.
Your designs signify sculptural silhouettes merging a poetic and theatrical language.
This distinctive aesthetic has evolved over the years through a combination of my personal experiences, creative influences and a deep passion for pushing the boundaries of fashion. I am grateful for my experience at Central Saint Martins, where I learnt how to truly express myself through art.
You’ve had a showcase at London’s Animal Ball 2019, hosted by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Tell us about that royal experience.
I am glad to be part of The Elephant Family and support them in their efforts towards animal welfare and protection. It was a wonderful experience to see what the organisation does to help save our hurting ecosystem. I particularly remember meeting Dame Vivian Westwood. I spent three hours talking to her about climate change and initiatives to combat it.
Do you recall your first big showcase in the West?
We made our debut at Paris Couture Week in January this year. The experience has been exhilarating. It’s truly been magical. We showcased our spring-summer 2023 couture collection called Shunya. We wanted to make it a sustained activity and continue the magic. We then showcased our autumn-winter couture 2024 collection called Hiranyagarbha and I feel we are just getting started.
Tell us the inspiration for choosing the theme of Birth of Venus for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s outfit at Cannes this year.
The gown was our interpretation of Sandro Botticelli’s famous painting Birth of Venus, with the shell-like structure behind the shoulder symbolising Venus’s rise from the scalloped shell. It took 20 days and over 100 craftspeople to create what came to be a symbol of hope, birth and beauty after the tough times the world had faced during COVID 19.
I think there is this brown movement happening across the globe. The world is finally standing up and noticing that India is not just about colourful embroidery, elephants, and the Taj Mahal. I think this adds a lens to how the world perceives us and there’s something for everyone to take away—from designers to artists, students, entrepreneurs, etc. Global expansion and recognition are major takeaways from such events as the fact that we are now retailing at Neiman Marcus and Moda Operandi, dressing global culturists across the world, etc.
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