Paris got its first peek inside the mind of Gaurav Gupta, who was showing on the official calendar for the first time.
And there is a lot going on in there. “I live in a different universe. I live in a fantasy world in my mind all the time,” the designer said backstage Thursday after his last looks had hit the runway. Among the inspirations he cited were the concept of zero and infinity, volcanic erosion, snakes from the kundalini, as well as the Egyptian pyramids.
So he sent out a series of sculptural showstoppers that swirled around each model with elaborate sweeps and brushstrokes, hugging their (mostly very thin) bodies. Each look created visual interest and airy volume with architectural details — a suspended head covering here, or an explosive plume exiting the shoulder there, like exotic wings of a wholly fantastical avian.
Many of the looks played with duality, with beading on nude mesh exposing the body, yet completed with an eye cover for a dash of obscurity. As if to double down on the concept, Gupta sent out a conjoined dress with two models holding hands among the sideways swoops of infinity, a grand gesture of unity in these trying times.
His play of saturated color popped against the stark white of the Palais de Tokyo, including flowing tops and matching boot-leggings in a Marrakech blue so deep that one wanted to swim in it. A weak link was a floor-puddling stretchy silver column.
The futuristic structure belies the core for the brand, built on ancient craftsmanship of embroidery, Gupta said. The pleating and lifting are techniques that he has already perfected in his 17-year-old couture business in India and continues to build upon. He’s long been a red carpet favorite, and will continue to be for those who dare.