Masaba Gupta Wants You To Leave Behind The Bridal Dupatta In 2024

When choosing your trousseau, it’s not about the cut of the blouse that will suit you or what will pair best with your necklace. It’s about the tiny details which come together to tell your love story on one of the biggest days of your life. Designer Masaba Gupta understands this almost in a meditative manner.  

The designer is a firm proponent of the belief that “the outfit shouldn’t be wearing me, rather I should be adorning it and not feeling overwhelmed by it.”

Masaba recently opened an expansive flagship store in the heart of the capital in Mehrauli. A one-of-a-kind space where the designer just doesn’t intend to offer ensembles but an experience, all while showcasing Masaba’s distinctive design approach. For anyone who understands her design ethos, they would know it is all about blending traditional elements with a contemporary taste.

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As the store gears up to attend to the needs and demands of those getting married this year, Masaba shares how, over the years, her design sensibilities have evolved, how brides’ shopping tendencies are changing, and what brides-to-be can expect in terms of colours, silhouettes, and more.

In Conversation With Masaba Gupta

Manifest: Bridal fashion is evolving rapidly. What are the biggest bridal trends you foresee dominating 2025?

Masaba Gupta: I think the biggest bridal trends that I foresee coming in 2025 are ones where the bride has decided she wants to be comfortable; they want to be wearing outfits that they can enjoy themselves in. I think they no longer want to follow a trend or follow their favourite celebrity. Brides today have become individualistic in the way they are picking out their outfits, they have a mind of their own. I think earlier bridal buying used to be influenced heavily by the family, but today brides are very sure of what they want.

They have understood what their bodies are like and what works for them. So, we will see a lot of personalisation when it comes to bridal outfits. We’ll see a lot of mixed metal when it comes to jewellery, typically bridal jewellery. We are going to see a huge introduction of veils... Instead of the conventional dupatta, we are going to see a lot of people wear the classic veil and treat that as the highlight accessory of the whole outfit.

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We will see a lot of colour and reintroduction of heritage pieces which have been repurposed for modern wear. Our new bridal collection, too, is offering pieces that gives a sense that they have been handed down from generations, but are modern pieces that can cater and fit very well into today’s setting.

M: Tell us about how you chose ensembles for your own wedding.

MG: I think when I was choosing ensembles for my own wedding, comfort superseded for me. Of course, I wanted it to be vibrant, so I picked a barfi pink lehenga. Moreover, I wanted it to be a celebration of India, so the colour had to be in sync with the fabric and the print. The jewellery played a focal role in how I approached my ensemble. I wanted it to be a mix of my mother’s pieces and some new pieces. So, there was gold, diamonds, there was a satlara as well. I believe the idea is just to be comfortable; to not feel as if the outfit isn’t wearing me but I was wearing the same and not feel overwhelmed in it.

M: Did you always know what you wanted, or was it an evolving process?

MG: I believe I have always been evolving with what I think I want. I don’t think there is a steady definition of what I want to be doing. There is never a certain kind of look, or fabric or even a particular type of embroidery. I think even if you see my work over the years, it has evolved constantly. It was quirky in the beginning—lots of colours, very kitschy.

Then it was slightly more grown-up and looked sophisticated. Today I think it is even cleaner and softer. We are a very relaxed brand when it comes to clothing and silhouette, and how we approach print and everything we do.

M: Your designs are known for their bold, unconventional aesthetic. How have you translated that into bridal wear while keeping tradition alive?

MG: I think bold and unconventional don’t fit not the bridal space, but what we did differently as a brand was not shy away from colour... I believe this is the boldest form a brand can take when it comes to bridal because this space is known to fit into reds, ivory and plum tones for years now. The fact that we chose to experiment with hues such as barfi pink, lime green, yellow and mustard helped us take the bold route via colour.

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We have incorporated embellishment so that it doesn’t look like it's just a lehenga that’s filled with work because it should look heavy. I think there is a lot of meaning behind every motif that we do. There is the chand-taara [moon and stars], there is the sun-chidiya [sun and birds] there are also palm trees and pineapples. So, our tropical approach has been repurposed it into elegant evening wear or bridal wear. What I cherish about our design process is also how we have tried giving the classic veil a new definition. Veils have long been associated with catholic weddings, but we have designed them in a very India proud manner.

M: Congratulations on your new store! Tell us about how this flagship store is designed.

MG: I wanted to create a space that felt meditative. We have extremely clean interiors, because it should feel like you are walking into a home. It should feel intimate because the process of shopping for your wedding is an overwhelming exercise. I wanted everyone to feel relaxed the minute they walk in. That is why we have hues of salmon and bare nudes... There are tiny accents of signature Masaba red and plum colours.

M: What can brides-to-be expect in terms of colours, silhouettes, and fabric choices?

MG: Brides can expect everything in terms of colour. We have classic golds, we have tissues, varying tones of ivory, beige, hot pink, lime green, yellow, and mustard. We also have a whole selection of reds—you can imagine every tone of red to be present at our new flagship store. There is a section that caters to menswear, and we have also curated a corner for the bride’s friends, bridesmaids, and her relatives too.

M: How is this flagship different from your others?

MG: The store is different from others just by the sheer size and the experience that you get when you walk in...it is a large, expansive space. This is the only House of Masaba store that has a jewellery salon. For those who don’t want bridal jewellery but want something else, they can try on pieces and be assisted. It’s like a home setup, and that is truly what the House of Masaba was meant to be...

M: Many brides struggle to balance tradition and personal style. What’s your advice to them when choosing their wedding wardrobe?
MG: When it comes to balancing tradition and personal style, I think it’s always nice to have a bit of both. If your outfit is new, modern, and picked from scratch, it helps to pair it with heirloom jewellery or something vintage to bring old-school charm. Personal style can also shine through in how you choose to drape your outfit or the kind of makeup you choose. For example, if you're wearing a heavy lehenga with two dupattas, a veil, and lots of jewellery, it’s lovely to keep the makeup minimal—cool-toned eyes, a nude lip, and a skin-like base. On the other hand, if your lehenga is more pared-down or solid in colour, you can go bolder with your jewellery. Ultimately, if your style leans towards wearing a beautiful necklace passed down by your mother and a heavy lehenga, that works too. I think even an over-the-top look can be stylish. After all, fashion has space for both ideas and identities.

M: If you had to describe the ultimate ‘Masaba Bride’, what would she be like in terms of style, personality, and spirit?

MG: The ‘Masaba Bride’ is an independent thinker. She’s free-spirited but deeply rooted—someone who respects tradition but isn’t afraid to bend the rules when it feels right. She enjoys colour, appreciates design, and is a creative individual who puts thought into everything she wears. She’s expressive, intentional, and never afraid to let her personality come through in her choices.