Daring, by design

After London, New York and Rome, Gaurav Gupta comes to Bangalore to explore a 'thinking, price-sensitive' market

Daring, by design

After London, New York and Rome, Gaurav Gupta comes to Bangalore to explore a 'thinking, price-sensitive' market

Delhi-based designer Gaurav Gupta presents his Red collection at Scarlet Haute Compote, an evening of fashion, at Olive Beach tomorrow. The designer, who is making his first visit to the city, says selling to the 'thinking, price-sensitive Bangalorean' is a challenge he's looking forward to.

You've been retailing in the US and in the UK for some years now. Is recession one of the reasons why you've trained your sights on India, and cities like Bangalore, in particular?
International selling has taken a hit, for almost all designers, in the US. But specialised boutiques in the UK are still going strong. The downturn has encouraged me to explore new markets like Australia, Hong Kong and the rest of Asia. It has also helped me focus more on my India business.u00a0

Talking of Bangalore, I have been retailing at Grasshopper (on Bannerghatta Road) in a very small capacity. The response to my clothes was encouraging. My experimental pieces sold well. A lot of expatriates were interested in my work. Now, Haute Compote will be a good introduction to the Bangalore market. Bangaloreans are not brand crazy, which is a good thing for young designers.

You've been working with muted colours, but you're now creating a collection in scalding scarlet and fiery red.
Did you struggle with the transition?
A D Singh (who owns Olive Beach) and Manu Chandra (executive chef) are good friends of mine. When they told me about Haute Compote where a designer gets to show off his creations around their chosen colour, I was intrigued. I wanted to see myself create designs in a fiery, saucy, sensual and bold colour like scarlet. Of course, it was hard work. I took a little over a month to put this collection together.

What inspired this line?
Art...architecture, actually. I was traveling to Barcelona recently and I was struck by the works of the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi. His sensuous, curving and almost surreal design style established him as the innovative leader of the Spanish Art Noveau movement. I was struck by his play on form. I have used circular patterns and juxtaposed sheer with solids to give my collection its character.

No Indian influences, then?
Oh yes, the draping is very Indian. A lot of people which that my draping comes from Grecian styles but no, it's actually from India.

Along with Anaita Shroff Adajania, you designed for Abhishek Bachchan in Drona. More Bollywood plans on the anvil?
No. Bipasha Basu, John Abraham, Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra wear my designs in an individual capacity, not in their films. I was excited about Drona because it was pitched as a fantasy adventure.
Why are we yet to hear designers speak well of one another? Where some see fashion, most others see politics.
Why?
I don't entirely buy that, but perhaps some of it happens because there are differences in the fashion industry, and the differences are because fashion is still a very unorganised industry in India. That doesn't stop me from wishing that designers understand that we need to grow together.

If not a designer, Gaurav Gupta would've been...
An artist an installation artist. Or a philosopher, or even an art consultant.