Rebel Heart

Masaba Gupta Mantena Is a Woman—and Fashion Designer and Social Media Star—unto Herself, With a Wicked Sense of Humour and Rare Foresight as Her Calling Cards. Hotelier Aishwarya Nair Mathew Charts Her Friend’s Journey to the Top.

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My friendship with Masaba Gupta Mantena began over a shared passion for food, travel and beauty (we’re both skincare junkies). Though we had both attended the same high school and have a lot of friends in common, we didn’t really know each other until we met a few years ago, through Design One, a platform that showcases established and upcoming designers. Today, I count her not only as a kindred soul, but also as a talented designer and entrepreneur, who understands her aesthetic and her market better than many—something that has been integral to her meteoric success.

She has an all-India presence, has created a niche, young market for the modern sari, is regarded as an innovator by the fashion fraternity and with legions of followers online, is a bona fide digital star. It’s a joy to scroll through her social media channels—she keeps them glamorous and frank, and liberally peppers them with her singular sense of humour.

I am inspired by her sheer belief in herself—her drive, work ethic and dedication are empowering to witness. Which is why when ELLE asked me to interview her on the eve of her new store opening at Palladium Mall in Mumbai, I agreed readily. It’s only fair that the world gets to know her the way I do.

Aishwarya Nair Mathew: Let’s start at the beginning—you’ve had an unconventional upbringing, haven’t you?

Masaba Gupta Mantena: My upbringing was pretty extreme. I had a single working mum [actor Neena Gupta], my father [West Indian cricket legend Sir Viv Richards] would come and go. Not a lot of people know this about me, but my grandfather was an important part of my childhood. He was a rather conservative, no-nonsense kind of a man; quite the opposite of my mother. The contrast between the two made for a very confusing childhood [laughs], but it gave me the right balance I needed in terms of ethics and creativity.