Indian textile businessman Gaurav Gupta Unveiled his latest collection – Light Songs – in Mumbai on 17 July. Developed over a period of six months, the collection included over 70 looks ranging from bridal wear and cocktail dressing to occasion wear, reception dressing and menswear.
Read this also Ananya Panday closes Gaurav Gupta’s show in modern bridal lehenga with diamond septum ring and dreamy open hair
Created by a team of over 200 artisans, the collection represents over 6,000 hours of craftsmanship. was a showcase Ananya Pandey Closing out the collection, and even Indian supermodel Mehr Jessia returned to the runway. In fact, the designer revealed that Ananya’s final look was brought to life using over 2,600 individually hand-cut three-dimensional camellia petals, which were hand-embroidered with 12,000 pearls and over 680 crystals.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, the designer reveals about his new couture collection, why he chose Ananya Panday as his showstopper, a silhouette that pushed his technical limits, his design philosophy, and how he envisions the future of his brand.
Excerpts from the interview:
The Divine Androgyne in Paris explored duality, but this collection focuses on the union of solar and lunar energies. What changed in your creative mind that made you want to move toward harmony and connection?
I don’t think the conversation has changed as much as it has evolved. Divine Androgyne was about recognizing that opposite energies already exist within each of us. light song Asks what happens when those energies move beyond the individual and into the world around us. I found myself thinking about the relationships between light and shadow, stillness and movement, moon and sun. In Indian philosophy these are not contradictory but complementary forces. It felt like a natural progression, especially during a time when we’re all looking for more balance and connection.
Ananya Panday represents a new generation of Indian celebrities with a growing global presence. What made her the perfect inspiration to embody the spirit of this collection, and what qualities did you see in her that were in line with your vision?
Ananya represents a generation that is confident in embracing both tradition and modernity without seeing them as contradictions. There is an inherent spontaneity, curiosity and openness that is very much in tune with the spirit of Light Song.
The collection is about harmony and growth, and she embodies this through the way she approaches fashion and her growing global presence. She brought a quiet confidence to the final bride’s look, letting the craftsmanship and emotion of the garment speak for itself.
Which celebrity look has been your most memorable and why?
It’s hard to choose just one because every collaboration has its own story. Some become memorable because they mark an important moment in the culture, while others stay with me because they pushed our atelier forward creatively. What I value most is when a look creates an emotional connection, when the person wearing it actually inhabits the garment rather than just wearing it. Those are the moments that stay with me long after the event.
Your partner has been a huge inspiration for your collections in the past. Is he present in this new collection also?
Navkirat remains an important source of inspiration, not in the literal sense, but through our interactions and the way she experiences the world. He has always encouraged me to approach creativity with honesty and sensitivity. Those ideas naturally find their way into my work. While Light Songs is drawn from Indian philosophy and cosmology, the emotional core of the collection is still shaped by the people and relationships that inspire me every day.
You’ve divided the collection into two chapters: cool lunar tones and warm solar tones. How do you see these two interacting on the runway?
I wanted the audience to experience a gradual emotional transition rather than just watching two colorful stories. The lunar chapter is revealed through powder blues, midnight blues, silvers and ivory, evoking a feeling of reflection and peace.
Solar introduces richer golds, warmer metallics and formal tones that feel more energetic and expansive. As the show progresses, those worlds begin to merge until they reach the Cosmic Union, where no single energy dominates. Instead, they exist in harmony, which is really the emotional destination of the collection.
Is there a specific technique or garment in this collection that pushed your team’s technical limits to their absolute limits?
This season was less about creating new silhouettes and more about pushing the language of craftsmanship forward. We invested significant time in developing custom jacquard brocade, weaving pegasus and fantasy-inspired motifs directly into the fabric to create a new expression of the textile.
The bridal finale became another defining moment, with over 5,000 individually hand-cut fabric camellia petals carefully crafted and layered to transform the gown into a living floral sculpture. Both represent the kind of innovation that can only happen through the extraordinary skill and patience of our artisans.
There are over 70 looks in this collection, and you’re covered in everything from bridal wear to menswear and cocktail dressing. How do solar and lunar energy themes differ when designing for bridal versus menswear?
The philosophy remains the same, but the expression changes. In bridal attire, those ideas are explored through ceremony, emotion and transformation. The garments appear softer and more romantic, often using intricate surface development and delicate craftsmanship to convey a sense of union.
In menswear, dialogue is translated through tailoring, textile innovation and structure. This season, we developed custom jacquard, metallic brocade and kaleidoscopic embroidery, which allowed the same philosophy to take on a different visual language while remaining part of the same narrative.
After presenting in Paris, you have chosen Mumbai as the stage for this collection. Why was it important for you to bring this specific collection back to Mumbai instead of showcasing it on the European stage?
Light Song is deeply rooted in Indian philosophy, craftsmanship and ceremony, so it felt important to experience the collection here. There is incredible energy in Mumbai. It brings together creativity, culture and ambition in a way that feels very contemporary while still remaining connected to tradition. Presenting the collection in India also gave us an opportunity to celebrate the artisans whose work makes the garments possible and share this story with the audiences who most readily understand its cultural contexts.
You’ve always blurred the boundaries between fashion and performance. When you start designing a collection, do you first think about the feeling, silhouette, or narrative you want to convey to the wearer?
It always starts with a thought or feeling. The narrative comes first because it gives meaning to every creative decision that follows. Once that foundation is clear, the silhouettes, embroideries, textiles and performances all begin to evolve organically around it. I don’t see these as separate subjects. They are different ways of telling the same story.
Indian bridal fashion is rapidly evolving, with young customers adopting unconventional colors and silhouettes. How is this influencing the way you design couture without compromising your signature aesthetic?
Today’s bride is incredibly confident in expressing her individuality. She is now getting ready not to live up to expectations but to tell her story. This gives us the freedom to experiment with new colours, fabrics and silhouettes while remaining true to the identity of the House. For me, innovation does not mean abandoning tradition. This means allowing the tradition to evolve in ways that feel relevant to the women wearing it today.
You have spent years building an internationally recognized couture house. Looking back, what has changed most in your own understanding of luxury, and what do you hope the next decade for Gaurav Gupta represents?
When I started out, I think I associated luxury primarily with exceptional craftsmanship and exclusivity. Today, I see luxury as something much deeper. It’s about authenticity, emotional resonance and creating meaningful work. Craftsmanship will always be at the heart of the House, but I also want the next decade to be defined by curiosity, innovation and cultural storytelling. My hope is that Gaurav Gupta will continue to pioneer the language of Indian couture while remaining deeply rooted in the philosophy, traditions and artistry that inspire us.
