Couturier Gaurav Gupta On His Creative Journey So Far

There are more ways than one to start off a new year on the right foot. For Gaurav Gupta, that meant receiving an invitation by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode to showcase his work at Paris Haute Couture Week back in January 2023. 

When the day of the show arrived, the designer presented his debut collection in the City of Lights: titled “Shunya”, a Sanskrit word that translates to “zero” or “the beginning”, the collection featured otherworldly silhouettes consisting of intertwining streams of waves constructed from satin, chiffon, and organza. Inspired by the possibilities of movement between “zero and infinity with tangents of mythology, fantasy and surrealism”, the collection showcased Gupta’s spiritual approach when it comes to constructing his designs—a theme that, according to the designer, threads across his take on both work and life.

Speaking to Harper’s BAZAAR Singapore while he was in town earlier this March, Gupta shared, “We are all spiritual people. I am a spirit, so therefore I am spiritual. It’s not that I read too much into ideologies, dreams, or anything, but it’s more of how it all makes me feel and I believe it’s just a part of me.”

It comes as no surprise then, that his subsequent showings at Paris Haute Couture Week similarly tapped into philosophies of Sanskrit origins—namely “Hiranyagarbha” and “Aarohanam”, representing the “golden womb” and spiritual “ascension” respectively—realised through the creation of abstract silhouettes meticulously handcrafted by Gupta’s team of craftsmen. 

Yet, while it was his showing at Paris Haute Couture Week that propelled him into the consciousness of the global fashion set, it was the high-profile celebrity dressing moments that cemented his presence in the pop culture zeitgeist. In February 2023, Cardi B took to the 65th Grammy Awards donning an electrifying blue gown by the designer. The rapper had also previously been spotted in a look by Gupta for her “No Love” music video. And on her globetrotting Renaissance World Tour, Beyoncé completed her performance wardrobe with several pieces from the designer’s oeuvre. Other celebrities who have been lensed in couture gowns by Gupta include Chloe Bailey, Fan Bing Bing, Lizzo, and Shakira.

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Beyond his work in the realm of high dressmaking, Gupta also helms a ready-to-wear line for both men and women, offering a pared-down selection of cocktail gowns, tailoring, and separates, informed by the dramatic styles from his couture runways. Fans in Singapore will now be able to shop the looks at Studio Mèlange via the luxury retailer’s in-store concierge services at Design Orchard, where shoppers will be treated with a bespoke shopping experience as they browse the curated selection of pieces from established and emerging South Asian designers.

Gupta himself made an appearance in Singapore when he was hosted for an exclusive showcase by Mèlange. While he was here, we spoke to the designer about his creative journey, his first showing in Paris Haute Couture Week, and what the future holds for his eponymous label. 

How did you find your calling to design haute couture?

I have always had an artistic frame of mind, and have always had a penchant [for] detail—that was just how my mind was developed since childhood, and through my time studying at Central Saint Martins. I’ve seen the work that goes into craftsmanship, traditional embroidery, and classic techniques in my culture since I was young; and I realised that I had an affinity to it all. To me, haute couture is an artistic expression without boundaries; free to be open to interpretation, and anyone is able to tap into that to make art-like garments, and it makes me excited that people can actually wear them.

Is there a designer you would consider a mentor?

Well, I did an internship at Hussein Chalayan in London. But I do consider many designers inspiring, like Junya Watanabe, Vivienne Westwood, Rick Owens, Thierry Mugler, Alexander McQueen, who have all changed our concept of fashion and design. It’s almost like their work is a take on a culture-scape and it goes beyond selling and consuming clothes. Their work, in its own way, influences the vibe of the world.

What was it like presenting at Haute Couture Week for the very first time?

It was an absolute dream come true. In the history of haute couture, we are the third brand to be invited from India to showcase in Paris. It’s really an honour to represent the brand and our country, and hopefully to change the direction to the meaning of haute couture altogether. It’s surreal to be creating historical moments with the opportunity and, along with that, we have managed to catalyse the brand with the power of celebrity and its movement. It’s surreal to me that someone wore our designs last night at our dinner [here in Singapore].

Related article: At Paris Fashion Week, A Tale Of Two Extremes

Tell us about your favourite memory since starting your label in 2006.

You know, I’ve had such an intense journey for the last decade or even longer—while I was at Central Saint Martins or working different jobs—that it’s almost as if every few years, something incredibly memorable happens to me. So, it could perhaps be when upon graduation, I was given a trophy by the Mayor of Rome at Rome Couture Fashion Week. I’ve had many larger-than-life moments throughout my life, but my collections as well have stayed with me in a strong way, because of all the media support we have received on magazine covers. There’s just so much that happens with the brand, and what keeps me going is looking forward into the future. 

Your designs take inspiration from nature and the motifs of the natural world, realised through various traditional embroidery techniques. What is it about nature that continues to inspire you?

There are numerous traditional embroidery techniques across the world, from Spain to India and all ancient cultures, and there have been so many overlaps amongst them, that it’s almost like a universal language we all share. I think that for the techniques that have survived after all this time, it’s existence itself is so powerful and enriching that I avoid using them in clichés like motifs of elephants—that tribal cultures of the past may have done hundreds of years ago—and instead find ways to weave them into imagery that inspires me personally. My brand takes the likeness of the infinity symbol—everything is an infinite loop, everything is abstract—and there are no straight lines in nature nor will it ever cease to inspire me creatively. 

You have championed South Asian craftsmanship and its legacy by showcasing your designs at Haute Couture Week. What does this representation mean to you?

To be honest, I think representation is more about the individual and everyone is equal. For me, I wouldn’t even let the other person feel that they are supporting me because I am representing India or anything like that. I am from the school of thought where the more we talk about representation, the more we are hindering our end goals of the discussion. I think what really matters to me is the art and talent. 

Do you think fashion is art? Why and why not?

Everything in life is art. When the neanderthal first drew lines in a cave wall all those years ago, that was art, no? But if a million people did it now, then it suddenly becomes viewed as common and unartistic. At the end of the day, to me, any human expression is art.

How would you want your brand to be remembered in a hundred years?

I don’t think it will survive. Climate change would have killed us by then.