FOREIGN AFFAIRS

INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED DESIGNER GAURAV GUPTA TALKS ABOUT HIS PHILOSOPHY AND MORE WITH TANISHA BHATTACHARYA

- TANISHA BHATTACHARYA

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 the 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…