For couturier Gaurav Gupta, dressing up cultural collaborators is immensely gratifying

The couturier’s brand new flagship store in the city is at the intersection of design and fashion, its sculptural qualities aligning with Gupta’s creations

Gaurav Gupta is moving at a mile a minute this year. It's only March and he's already showcased his first collection at Paris Couture Week, dressed Cardi B for the Grammys and opened a brand new flagship store in Mumbai's Kala Ghoda­–his fourth in India. An experiential retail destination, the boutique store exudes a vibe that’s somewhere between a futuristic art gallery and a couture atelier, across three storeys. Drawing upon his concept of ‘Shunya’–the theme of his couture collection–the store reflects Gupta’s avant-garde aesthetic translating into architecture. The Established caught up with Gupta to discuss more details on his store design, lessons he's learned from his recent hits on the red carpets and more. 

A sense of freedom and fantasy

"It took us months to find the right architect [to design the space]. Saurabh (my brother) and I were looking for someone whose design sensibilities would l resonate with ours," explains Gupta. Ultimately they finalised on Gurgaon-based architect Vishal K Dar. "Dar is an artist himself, and I remember Saurabh, Vishal and I sitting in the Mehrauli store and brainstorming on the keywords that define the brand. Surrealism, art, architecture, endlessness, infinity, future – all these words came together and that’s how we arrived at the idea of Shunya. The concept of Shunya invokes a sense of freedom and fantasy–something both Gaurav and Saurabh identify with–and the store encapsulates that concept, with its minimalist white space and curvilinear structures.

From start to finish, the 6000-square-feet store took a year to complete, and the team had to work closely with the heritage committee in Mumbai to restore the space, which dates back to the 1960s. "We've accomplished an impossible project and put up these spaceship-like zeroes flying in and landing into this heritage building. The store is sculptural, where every space moves into another. And it's endless." 

The space houses women's and men's ready-to-wear, along with demi-couture pieces, sari gowns, men's wedding attire and cocktail dresses as well as lehengas. Meanwhile, the museum-like double-height second floor is devoted to haute couture and made-to-order creations. 

Making waves globally 

Speaking of haute couture, Gupta says that only a few pieces from the Paris Couture Week collection will be displayed at the store as not all of them are with him. "I can't tell you who has the pieces, in Los Angeles, Paris and London–even I don't know! The celebrities are just not ready to give them back. They want to keep the clothes until they wear them, and they’ll then give them back to me," he says cheekily. Gupta is no stranger to celebrity dressing in India; however, in the last two years, he has taken his talent to newer heights with international celebrities,  be it Lizzo, Sharon Stone, Megan Thee Stallion or Cardi B.

He credits his partner and best friend, Hema Bose of Maison Bose, for his recent success on international red carpets. "Hema is the hustler–the hustle is you have to have the relationships and the talent, which she does. Cardi B happened because Hema made sure her stylist, Kollin Carter, attended our show in Paris. After the show, Carter said, ‘I need to make the Grammys a moment.’ So we created Cardi’s dress in two days and flew it to LA," explains Gupta. 

A moment for Indian fashion

Indian designers are increasingly becoming the rage internationally. Anita Dongre just opened a store in Dubai, as will Manish Malhotra. Sarah Jessica Parker wore a Falguni and Shane Peacock creation last year on And Just Like That. What does Gupta think of this recent uptick of regional creatives' presence internationally? "It's really great. I think the world is finally realising that India is not just about colorful embroidery, elephants and the Taj Mahal. It's fantastic to see Dhruv Kapoor in the ready-to-wear space and Rahul Mishra in Paris. There's an ‘India moment’ happening right now. Indians aren't following the vibe; they're making the vibe." 

While red-carpet dressing is important, Gupta also believes dressing icons and cultural collaborators is highly gratifying to him as a creative. Naturally, this means he's evolved–both creatively and personally. 

"For example, I've always loved Sharon Stone, so it will push me even more, to make something ultra sexy for her. That itself is a creative journey for me," he adds. With such a demand for his clothes globally, does this mean we can expect a new store outside India? Not just yet. Although big expansion plans are in the pipeline, Gupta will retail through multi-brand stores for now. Currently, he is in talks with Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Moda Operandi, and other European retailers, which will be announced later. 

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