A Gaurav Gupta creation. Picture: Anindya Shankar Ray Saionee Chakraborty

Gaurav Gupta

Is Calcutta among your favourite cities that you like coming back to?

Yeah, I really like Calcutta. I think it’s very cool. It’s very sophisticated and charming at the same time. It has that local street charm… there is also an intellectual buzz to the city, which I find very interesting. I like the phuchkas here and I had too many phuchkas the last time I was here. And then I really like the old part of Calcutta and the Victorian Calcutta as well where there are all the buildings and architecture. At the same time, it’s more than the architecture. It’s the intellect, the cerebral Calcutta, the sensibility which is very subtle. People are well-spoken and they think. That’s what I like. They are a lot more evolved than a lot of other cities.

Your connect with Calcutta is 85 Lansdowne…

That is the only store where we are present, in Calcutta. It’s the best store to be at for sure!

How do you think the Calcutta sense of dressing has evolved in the years since you started stocking at 85 Lansdowne?

I think it was very, very conservative at first. And it was a bit too simplistic. People would want full sleeves with everything! It’s still very sophisticated but people have become a bit more open and they are ready to wear experimental things. Even brides from Calcutta are wearing lehnga-gowns and sari-gowns. I still notice Calcutta is not so much into bling, which is quite nice.

What should they embrace next?

They avoid sexy clothes. They can become a bit more sexy, but that is the charm of Calcutta. For them covered is also sexy, which I find charming.

Is there anything from Calcutta that is a part of your wardrobe?

Hmm… Anamika (Khanna) has made me a cape. (Laughs) She is the best designer in the country!

Who else do you like from the city’s fashion circuit?

Sabya (Sabyasachi Mukherjee) is a brilliant business brain. Kiran Uttam Ghosh is also nice. I like Kallol’s (Datta) dark sensibility. What is interesting is that they have their own signature styles.

You mentioned coming up with another line…

That’s New Vintage by Gaurav Gupta. That has more approachable price points, from

Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000, but in Indianwear… full kurta sets, Anarkalis, our signature saris. The market is so big that we need not live in the cocoon shell of high elitist price points all the time and (we could) reach out to a much wider segment. I am targeting everybody… anybody who is able to spend Rs 10,000 and wants to wear a Gaurav Gupta.

What will you be tweaking?

It’s simpler. I am keeping it more sophisticated, yet the element of the edge of a Gaurav Gupta still has to be there… the little bit of detailing of pleats, the kind of embroidery we do, the motifs. In Gaurav Gupta, the main brand, we are careful about every little detail. So, the elements of that have trickled down.

You had said you are a chameleon who keeps changing styles every time you get bored. What’s the trick to be a perfect style chameleon?

I think the only thing I would say is that one should be eager. Keep exploring. I just have fun!

Suneet Varma

A Suneet Varma creation

How was it coming back to Calcutta after almost 10 years?

Felt really nice! I think it’s a beautiful city. The people are warm and friendly and very elegant. The audience I met at 85 Lansdowne was interesting and interactive and untouched by the cosmopolitan culture that is there in the other parts of India, which I must say is enduring. The store is lovely!

What will you be taking back from Calcutta?

I am on a mission to buy an old, beautiful piece of furniture from Calcutta. I had bought something from an antique store 15 years ago and it’s one of my most cherished pieces.

What comes to your mind when we say Calcutta and fashion?

Some of the most successful designers in India are from Calcutta right from Anamika Khanna to Sabyasachi to Kiran Uttam Ghosh to Shantanu Goenka. Everybody has a very specific look. I think Calcutta is a big, big, big, big design centre and market for beautiful clothes, textiles and craft. I think the wealth of textiles and craft available here, let’s say, isn’t there in other bigger cosmopolitan city. It’s great to be here.

What are you working on now?

We are ready to open a few stores in Mumbai. There is Couture Week in Delhi and Mumbai. We’ve just done a trunk show in Dubai. So, the idea of slower summer months don’t exist anymore. For us, we are working through the year. It’s much more exciting to be moving and exploring new markets, opportunities and inspirations. I feel like I am getting the best work of my life now. And I am enjoying every bit of that.

Suneet’s must-have list this summer

The most obvious thing is having something fantastic in white. Beautiful white shirt, a beautiful white kurta. White jeans if you have the body and the flair to carry it.

Beautiful chappals.

A fresh-coloured accessory — a tie or a scarf or a dupatta or a bag or a crochet belt.

Something less leathery and more textile-based is beautiful for the summers.