Indian fashion designer Gaurav Gupta has made his highly anticipated debut at Paris Haute Couture Week, almost two decades after launching his eponymous brand.
Gupta's recognition at the prestigious event highlights his growing international status as a couturier who has long been beloved by his Bollywood clientele. His profile has soared over the past year, with global A-list stars such as Cardi B, Lizzo, and Kylie Minogue wearing his sculptural creations. At last year's Oscars, Megan Thee Stallion wore a custom-designed slate-blue, body-hugging gown with a dramatic train flowing out like delicate waves, generating significant media coverage. Gupta's temporary showroom near the Champs-Élysées in Paris is evidence of his newfound confidence as an Indian couture brand to go global.
Haute Couture Week is a biannual spectacle featuring the most exclusive fashion garments made by hand and sold at eye-watering prices. Gupta recalls his excitement when he heard that his brand had been selected to show at the event while on a plane about to take off. After graduating from London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, Gupta founded his label in 2005, which he and his brother Saurabh grew to include five boutiques in India's major cities.
Gupta's label merges "indigenous Indian construction and embellishing techniques" and describes itself as "Indian at its core." One of his most popular items is the high-fashion take on the sari gown, transforming the traditional Indian garment into something markedly sexier with knotting and plaiting. Gupta and his team have been preparing for the Paris couture presentation for six months, developing concepts and sketches and sourcing, dyeing, and embroidering fabrics.
For the label's debut collection at Haute Couture Week, the starting point was the Sanskrit word for zero, "shunya." Gupta drew inspiration from explorations of space and time to create his latest collection. The label's eveningwear collection is currently sold via Moda Operandi, and Neiman Marcus is set to offer the brand's designs as Gupta relishes the challenge of expanding his presence in the West.
