Indian designer Gaurav Gupta makes Paris haute couture debut

He says the moment has been 25 years in the making

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He's been designing for the Indian elite, Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities for almost 20 years. And on Thursday, Gaurav Gupta finally made it to the official Paris haute couture week calendar, sharing the stage with some of the world's most well-known couturiers.

"I feel like I’m finally home," the designer told Vogue India ahead of his show.

"I’ve been working in fashion since I was 15. So I guess it’s a 25-year-old dream in the making. When I was a student at Central Saint Martins about 20 years back, and even I used to work with Hussein Chalayan backstage and attend different shows, I just knew I had to be here."

The Middle East was represented by established houses Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad, which delivered assured haute couture collections.

Gupta showcased 35 looks in total, introducing his signature sculpted fabrics, many featuring wing-like creations that twisted around his models. Embroidered with crystals, many of the looks, in a variety of colours — from gold to silver and electric blue — gave his collection an effervescent quality.

The collection took six months to put together, from developing concepts and sketches to sourcing, dyeing and embroidering fabrics.

He said he named his collection Shunya, the Sanskrit word for zero, which was invented in India.

"When zero was discovered ... the world expanded into infinity. Time was no longer linear," he told CNN.

"When people see my collections, they say, 'Your clothes are very beautiful but they're not very Indian,' which isn't right.

"There's a sense of fluid form, maximalism, the techniques and craftsmanship — all of that is Indian. I want to challenge the perception of the words 'India' or 'Indianness'."

Scroll through the gallery below for collections by Arab designers at Paris haute couture week

Updated: January 28, 2023, 10:24 AM