Gaurav Gupta’s Indian Couture Spring/Summer 2025 collection, shot in the Ellora caves, is like a summer afternoon reverie. Charming in its delicate beauty and attention to detail. The hues of ecru, dust pink, and platinum come together against a canvas of hours of craftsmanship, pearl embroidery, prismatic glass embroidery and more. There is a certain calm, one that seems to have seamlessly flown from Gaurav’s cathartic Paris Couture Week, Spring Summer 2025, collection, ‘Across the Flame’, a love letter to life and living. In a chat with t2, Gaurav looked back at the life-changing fire accident that saw his forever muse and ‘life partner’, poet Navkirat Sodhi, fight with death, his summer line and 20 years of avant-garde storytelling.
How would you sum up the summer mood?
This summer feels like a quiet fire. There’s a deep emotionality, but also a strong sense of renewal and hope.
What were your inspirations for the summer collection?
After the incredibly positive response to our Paris Couture Week collection we presented in January this year, we’re now turning our focus closer to home. We’re working on our next Indian couture collection, which is bridal-focused.
How would you describe the last four months of your life?
They’ve been the most intense months of my life — physically, emotionally, creatively. Showcasing ‘Across the Flame’ at Paris Couture Week in January, after the accident, was deeply emotional. It felt like crossing a personal fire and coming out stronger. There’s been grief, but also profound healing, resilience, and transformation.
Is ‘Across the Flame’ your most challenging collection till date?
Without a doubt. Not just in technique or scale, but in what it demanded emotionally. It wasn’t just couture, it was life, loss, survival stitched into every piece.
And, the most emotional as well?
Yes. 'Across the Flame' was like stitching together broken pieces of ourselves. Every look carried a heartbeat. There was a gown in twin flame orange, almost like molten fire, that represented Navkirat and me caught in the middle of the accident, two souls engulfed, yet surviving. The collection wasn’t just about beauty; it was about burning, breaking, and rebuilding.
Was it cathartic to send it on the ramp?
Very much so. Watching it walk down the runway at Paris Couture Week felt like releasing a part of my story into the universe. It was painful, beautiful, necessary.
What did you tell Navkirat on the eve of the show?
I told Navkirat that none of this — none of the survival, none of the creation — would have been possible without her. She endured the worst of it and still shone through with unimaginable strength. Everything we were about to present was because of her spirit, her survival, and her light.
Has the accident made the bond even stronger?
Yes. It stripped away everything superficial. What remains is raw, real, unshakeable love and friendship. We have been each other’s home for over 25 years, and this has only deepened that bond.
What are your dreams for each other?
We’re not a typical couple, we’re soulmates in the strangest, best way. My dream for Navkirat is that she lives wildly, fully, laughing at life the way only she can. And her dream for me is probably that I finally learn to chill a little.
Gaurav Gupta’s global domination continues…
We’re grateful for the incredible journey so far. Our designs have been worn by global icons like Shakira, Beyonce, and Adele, bringing Indian couture to the world stage. We’re now stocked at Harrods in London, Alothman across Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, and expanding into new markets.
Even as we grow internationally, India remains the soul of everything we create, we’re telling Indian stories to the world.
What’s on the anvil?
We’re currently working towards our India couture collection, which will be bigger and more expansive than anything we’ve shown before, blending traditional techniques with modern innovation. Globally, we’re deepening our presence in new markets, expanding further into the US, UK, Europe, and the Middle East.
How are you ringing in 20 years of the brand?
Twenty years feel like both a blink and a lifetime. As we approach this milestone next year, we’re focusing on deepening our roots while continuing to push the boundaries of the future. It’s also a time to reflect on the journey and honour everyone who has been part of it.