Gaurav Gupta's Couture Artistry

His international debut at the Paris Fashion Week in January, followed by rapper Cardi B flaunting his custom-made gown on the Grammys red carpet a week later, capped a big year for the Indian designer

- Rubina A Khan

Celebrated international pop culture artists have been wearing pieces from Indian couturier Gaurav Gupta's future phantasia collections on red carpets around the world for the larger part of the past year. Mary J Blige to the Time 100 Gala, Megan Thee Stallion to the Oscars, Maluma to the Latin Billboard Awards in Miami, Lizzo, Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue, Bebe Rexha, Luis Fonsi, Ashanti, Thalia, Saweetie - the names read like a veritable Grammy nominations list. 2023 has started off with an even bigger bang, with the designer making his Paris Haute Couture Week SS23 debut with his Shunya collection on Republic Day. It was lauded by the fashion world for being intrinsically Indian, yet imaginatively international in style and spirit.

A week later, on international music's biggest night on February 5th, the Central Saint Martins alumnus' name was propelled to the front ranks of celebrated international designers when rapper Cardi B wore an electric blue creation from his Paris Haute Couture Week collection to the 65th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. The gown that electrified the fashion world now has its own identity it is called the Cardi Blue. Cardi, of course, is no stranger to Gupta's indigenous sculpting genius - she wore an ivory ensemble by him, representative of air that lent a cosmic flair to her character standing in a field of roses in her No Love video in early 2022.