EXCLUSIVE: Gaurav Gupta is Entering His Bridal Couture Era. Officially

The Indian wedding couture landscape is about to witness a major shake-up, and Gaurav Gupta is leading the charge. The designer is releasing a full-fledged Indian wedding day collection that marries his characteristic sculptural style with traditional Indian wedding wear elements. 

Quantum Entanglement, Gaurav Gupta’s new collection, is rooted in the idea of two souls intertwined. It presents the perfect blend of traditional craftsmanship with his signature surrealism and Paris Haute couture influences. His collection seeks to reimagine bridal wear for modern couples who have curious eyes and value artistry, culture and individuality. 

In an exclusive conversation with Manifest, Gaurav Gupta opens up about the influences that have shaped this collection and the ever-evolving world of Indian bridal couture.

In Conversation with Gaurav Gupta

Meghna Sharma: Gaurav, over the years, you have redefined Indian couture in many ways. What made you decide that this was the right time to launch a full-fledged wedding-day collection? 

Gaurav Gupta: “We have been doing bespoke bridal pieces for select clients for a while now, and a lot of brides have been wearing our reception, cocktail, or even global couture ensembles to their actual Indian phera ceremonies as well. So, we have been servicing brides for their wedding day, but we wanted to put a formal stamp on it.

There’s a significant growth projection in the Indian bridal market, and all our global counterparts from Paris Couture Week are looking at India as a market. So, we wanted to expand our base here and not just be seen as the ‘conceptual gown’ or the ‘reception outfit’ designer.”

MS: Tell us more about Quantum Entanglement.

GG: “Quantum Entanglement, as the name suggests, is the entanglement of two souls coming together. We want to celebrate love, and we want to celebrate how pure love is, entangled in this beautiful experience of a wedding.”

MS: Are there any unique stories that are attached to the stitches of your beautiful garments in this collection? 

GG: “I remember going through my parents' wedding album, and I loved the metallic brocade that my mother wore for one of her wedding receptions. And I have always been attracted to metallic tissue brocades. So, we had the fabric especially hand-woven in Banaras for this collection. So, I think it kind of comes full circle. Then we have also used lace developed in Chantilly with Solstice, one of our lace partners in France. 

Also, this time for the Gaurav Gupta bride, we were really obsessed with finding the right red.

Red has that deep spiritual significance to Indian weddings, and we found this vermilion colour, which has a touch of bordeaux and a touch of bright red. It's just the right balance of red.

That, for me, is what is the real inspiration in spiritual India, and that has been the base inspiration for this collection.

At its core, Quantum Entanglement features unique, new embroideries. And it is an extensive couture collection, with over 70 looks… We have crafted the special hand-woven brocade in line with the brand’s DNA, adding layers of surrealism, Gothic lines, and a touch of Art Nouveau. So, there's this whole exposure to haute couture in Paris and I am bringing all that excitement back to Indian couture. I think this cultural exchange happening on both ends is super exciting.”

MS: Who do you see as the Gaurav Gupta bride and groom?

GG: “I see the Gaurav Gupta bride and groom as people who are travellers, people who are explorers, inquisitive people. They have a certain artistic bent of mind. I think they are curious about art. They're curious about culture. And they appreciate all the passion and detailing that goes into each of our garments.”