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The 2001 earthquake in Kutch shattered the district. What followed was a reconstruction effort that laid the foundation of the “Gujarat Model” of development
The idea was just a word: textile. From it, emerged a story told in photographs. The story is about craft and construction, about people and the human imperative to create. The players are manifold: designers, who produce narratives in fabric and embellishment; the model, who breathes life into the garments; the discerning stylist who arranges the bouquet of clothes; the hair and make-up artist, who transforms the model into a character (a person both real and fantastical); and the photographer, through whose eyes the story is distilled. Then there is the legion of support functionaries: the styling assistants, the hair and make-up assistants, the ironing professional, the person who meticulously unpacks and packs clothes, the lighting technicians, the cameraperson and many more. It takes a small army to make images that stay in the mind’s eye.
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The mise-en-scène is a space in Mumbai that once housed a store known as Bungalow 8. The walls and ceiling are white, the fittings black, and the door, a collage of textured surfaces. The set is simple: a changeable roster of backdrops in rustic hues—washed-out ochre, military green and asphalt.
When Cardi B. arrived fashionably late in her parrot green showstopper outfit accompanied by her once 168 million instagram followers, it created a minor riot and turned the front row celebrities and till then mighty influencers into a desperate wannabe mob. They were fighting among themselves to squeeze into that one elusive frame with the pop star in the hope that it would provide them with that one fleeting visual spark and succour that justifies a hollow existence.
For me, in that very instant, the front row became the ‘Death Row’. A magical surreal setting with the condemned holding on that last glimmer of hope before fashion could hang itself.
And much before beyonce found her new clothes.
Gaurav Gupta was invited to show at Paris Haute Cotoure Week by the Federation de la Haute Cotoure et de la Mode in 2023, almost 2 decades after his debut as a designer. His style has evolved over the years, and his signature technique now blends drapery with structure and traditional Indian craft. He has dressed many stars in his sculptural silhouettes, from Kylie Minogue to Fan Bing Bing. Here, Gupta takes a bow to much adulation in a show that was broadcast live on Youtube.
COVER IMAGE: Belcalis Almanzar, known as Cardi B, is a star that instagram birthed. She first found fame in 2011 after her videotaped rants went viral on Vine and instagram. Her unfiltered social media game is on attestation to the fact that anyone who has the power to entertain can shoot up to fame. Her rise has been meteoric, with her track ‘WAP’ going viral on TikTok in 2020. Cardi B. has showcased Gaurav Gupta’s designs to her 169 million Instagram floowers several times, when she wore him for her ‘No Love’ video in 2022 and to the Grammy’s in 2023. She is pictured here at Gaurav Gupta’s show at the Palais de Tokyo, at Paris Haute Couture Week.
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