You sit in a Gaurav Gupta front row expecting sculptural gowns, surreal drama, and a spectacle that blurs fashion with art. But at his first-ever bridal showcase, staged independently in Mumbai in August, the anticipation transformed into something more intimate. The moment transcended couture and became a representation of ceremony, commitment, and storytelling, draped in silk and embroidery. Brides floated on the runway like heirlooms of the future; the presentation felt dramatic yet delicate, powerful yet personal. It felt less like attending a fashion show and more like entering Gupta’s vision of matrimony: a language of love, ritual, and reinvention. After the show, I sat down with Gupta to understand the emotions behind his bridal debut, why the Indian wedding is his ultimate canvas, and the woman he designs for.
Ainee Nizami Ahmedi (ANA): Take me through the morning of your first bridal couture show. What was going on in your head and heart?
Gaurav Gupta (GG): I was a bit sleepless but on a mission. I’m always on a mission! My head and heart were like, ‘Okay, let’s have a brilliant day. And let’s put all the positive energy out there.’ I think that on such days when there are significant turning points for the brand, I feel a sense of elation. It’s almost like I’m flying.
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ANA: What made you decide it was finally time to create your first bridal collection?
GG: We’ve had many patrons wearing our cocktail and reception wear, sometimes even tweaking it for their saath-pheras. And since we already create custom wedding looks for white weddings through our Paris couture collection, it felt natural to finally put a formal stamp on it and properly launch our bridal line.
ANA: How do you want a Gaurav Gupta bride to feel, both in the moment and decades later?
GG: I want her to feel exhilarated, to live the sense of fantasy I believe in, and to look back years later and still feel that her real life reflected that fantasy.
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ANA: How do you balance your signature avant-garde style with the deeply traditional emotions of a wedding outfit?
GG: I think I’m innately avant-garde, but within that, there’s an obsession with detailing which borrows from Art Nouveau, fantasy forests, birds and creatures. It translates into our couture workmanship. For me, tradition isn’t rigid anymore. Tradition is personal; it moves with you.
ANA: You’ve dressed some of the biggest global icons. Who is still on your mood board?
GG: Madonna, absolutely. And Meryl Streep. And Björk. There are so many…
ANA: Who do you turn to when you need honest, unfiltered feedback?
GG: I have it around me all the time. My brother, my team — they’re constantly challenging me. And my partner Navkirat (Sodhi), too.
ANA: If money, time, and practicality were no object, what fantastical project would you create?
GG: I would have loved to design the costumes for Game of Thrones or any fantasy drama. I’m still open to it. And I’d love to make movies myself one day.
ANA: What does a rare day off look like for you?
GG: Catching up on sleep, spending time with Navkirat and my family, fitting in some sport, and binge-watching shows like a normal person (laughs). If I get two or three days, then I’ll escape into a forest. That’s my favourite thing.
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ANA: Ten years from now, where would we find you, and what would you like to have created?
GG: Maybe still here, maybe in Paris or somewhere else altogether. Boundaries don’t matter to me. By then, I’d like to have built a truly global brand and spread this fantasy aesthetic to many more people.
As the last look disappeared and the applause settled, the atmosphere lingered, not of fashion alone, but of something more enduring. With this collection, Gupta didn’t just launch a new category for his brand; he reimagined the bridal stage as a space where couture becomes memory, and drama becomes devotion. If the show was any indication, the Gaurav Gupta bride won’t just wear a gown, she’ll carry a story, sculpted in fantasy, designed to last a lifetime.
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