Every time we catch up with Masaba Gupta, we feel she’s done so much since the last time we spoke! “Life is great. Hectic… it’s never been busier, but, no complaints,” laughed Masaba when t2 called her up for a chat on her latest collaboration with Koovs — Masaba X Koovs, an athleisure line.
The Masaba X Koovs collection looks really funky...
We have done a mix of bomber jackets, shorts, ganjees, T-shirts, joggers. It’s items to wear every day. People are now wearing a lot of athleisure on a regular basis. A lot of people wear it to work and a lot of places have Saturdays for dressing down. That’s the vibe. It’s not just for workout but for everyday wear.
So, athleisure is getting only bigger?
It’s still as hot as it was and I imagine it would be the same for the next one year before another trend kicks in. This line was actually designed three years back. There were no takers for it! Koovs saw it and they were like ‘We love it’. I had designed a line called Masaba Print which I wanted to be my athleisure line as a full-time thing. Then I realised that I should be doing this with an online partner who would be able to produce for me. Also, someone who will be able to control pricing.
The prints are very cool...
Basically because I love food and I love sweets… Gumbell, Swim Girl, the Swagger Gum print, Chocolate bars… You should work out and also eat to your heart’s content.
And you’ve been working out?
I am not used to being overweight because I have played too much sport. I have always been a foodie and I know my limits. This one year when I was getting married, I don’t know what happened to me and I just kept eating everything. One day I saw I was 8kg up. It continued and it was 10kg up! I used to take afternoon naps… for two hours! I decided to get back on track. From January last year, I kept doing weight-loss things. I lost 10 and I have five more to go. That’s my ideal weight! I am feeling amazing. I have more energy.
TIPS TO DO CHIC ATHLEISURE
If I am wearing joggers and a tank top, I’ll wear boots or high heels with it or a diamond necklace! Make one thing really luxurious.
You are 28 and you have pretty much done everything!
No ya, where?! I have so much to do. I feel like I am running out of time, which is why I am constantly trying to do more and more and more. It takes a toll on my health, but I enjoy being overworked I think.
How are you seeing life right now?
I am not somebody who has too many friends. I really cherish people who are close to me…. I want to be much more successful as a business now. I realise I am lending my name to too many brands. Where do I see myself five years from now… all those things have started to hit me.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
I was telling my business head the other day that people like what we do but it’s not always going to be this hot. When all the like buttons are exhausted, what are we going to offer to the world? We rely so much on digital media to make us popular.… It’s just a wave. There’s going to be a time when there would be no wave to ride on. So, what are you going to do? Which is why we set up a brand which will cater to various segments of society and literally own it. I really like the way Anita Dongre has set up her business. It’s running on autopilot and there is a proper machinery behind it.
Were you not satisfied with what you were doing?
The Chilli collection was an eye-opener because we did so badly. Maybe we didn’t even sell half of the collection. It was a disaster. I didn’t want to do fashion weeks, but I was like if I don’t do, people will forget and there will be someone else. I did it out of fear, which is the worst thing you can do for a label. I don’t want to be apologetic about being repetitive. If it is my signature, it is my signature. People take so long to establish a brand. If I have it, then I am not going to shy away from it unnecessarily.
So you want to innovate, with your signature?
Exactly! It’s about reinventing it time and again. Be it Sabya (Sabyasachi) or Manish (Arora), all of these guys stick to their forte. So, why should I be any different? I used to tell my mom (Neena Gupta) that we have done so much of the black-and-white print and we can’t do it anymore… she was like… ‘Why? Who do you think you are catering to? As long as the masses are wearing it, no one cares.’ I don’t mind being repetitive as long as I am growing and evolving.
You also said that you didn’t want to do prints. Where did that come from? Were you disillusioned with prints?
I was very disillusioned with prints. I kept thinking to myself, how long will I do this? How long will it be trendy? How long will it be on point? And like you said… there were way too many people trying to do what I do. I was thinking, maybe I should do a more classic approach with clothes. But you don’t have to change something just because you feel it is repetitive. For example, hot pink is a colour that sells really well for us. I said we are doing too much hot pinks… so I removed that from the collection and introduced a softer pastel pink and it didn’t sell! People want Masaba’s bright colours. So, why am I saying no? They love the whole camera story and the cow story and they want prints to that effect. Why am I trying to be somebody I am not?
What is the trick to reinventing yourself? What do you think will keep you relevant?
I am still in the hunt. I don’t think I will ever figure it out. Also because I feel that fashion is changing drastically. Consumer behaviour is changing so much. Earlier people would buy one style in three colours. Now, they want one style because they want to buy more often. Social events have doubled. The amount of clothes people need for events has become double. Everything depends on consumer behaviour now. I don’t want to say that I have can put a finger on it but I realise that I need to do prints that will pass the test of time. They cannot be seasonal anymore. Like the palm print they can wear 10 years later.
Saionee Chakraborty
