While sifting through Gaurav Gupta’s second bridal couture collection days ahead of its standalone presentation in Mumbai on 17 July, it is difficult to overlook how wearable they were. The collection bears the hallmarks of Gupta’s design language—silk, tulle, chiffon, bugle beads, zardozi, chikankari, crystals, Art Nouveau-inspired motifs and the sculptural silhouettes that have become synonymous with the brand. Yet there is an unmistakable sense of ease. These garments allow easy movement, something you don’t really associate with his signature sculptural work.
Take the deep fuchsia gown, which falls in generous folds, creating a relaxed, kaftan-like silhouette that would look flattering on all body types—ideal for a cocktail soirée or a pre-wedding celebration. Cinched with a broad, hand-beaded belt, the skirt gathers into fluid pleats, then opens into a tulip-like slit before flowing into a sweeping train. There’s an ivory silk coat embroidered with meandering trails of beads and crystals that resemble veins, subtly tracing the contours of a corset. Tailored with strong shoulders and buttoned up to the waist, it opens to reveal a pair of wide-legged trousers, replacing the expected bridal skirt with a more practical garment.
Even Gupta’s dhoti-style saris, 3D petal lehenga-cholis and sherwanis feel lighter. Trousers are roomier, some jackets are stripped of embroidery altogether and the silhouettes appear less intent on overwhelming the wearer. Is the designer entering a new phase?
“I want to make things a bit easier and more wearable going forward,” says Gupta, as he walks Lounge through the collection, which took close to eight months to complete. “There’s something if you want a grand outfit, and there’s something if you want an easy destination wedding. I want to remind people that the brand is about so many other things than just sculpting. We started out 20 years ago with draping; the 3D sculpting that people associate with us happened only about 10 years ago. Draping is sculptural too.”
The idea of couture that prioritises movement isn’t entirely new. In recent years, a handful of designers in India, like Tarun Tahiliani, have started working towards more wearable bridal silhouettes—a shift driven as much by changing consumer expectations as by the commercial need for couture that offers greater versatility. Yet the approach remains far from the norm. At the recent haute couture shows in Paris, much of the conversation revolved around monumental silhouettes and clothes that favoured visual impact over ease of movement.
Gupta, however, believes brides are increasingly looking for clothes that can do more than just make an entrance.
“The world, in general, is moving towards wellness, towards convenience, towards things that make their life less stressful and more comfortable... and they definitely expect that from fashion,” says the designer, who’s dressed everyone from Beyonce to Simone Ashley. Gupta skipped the recent haute couture calendar in Paris, calling it a “business decision” as the label prepares to open its first international flagship store in Paris in the coming weeks. “It will allow us to do more shows in Paris.”
Not all of the 68 looks, including 24 menswear ensembles, prioritise ease, though they feel more balanced in proportion compared to his earlier work. One standout corset is a web of bugle beads and crystals wrapped around the torso. Rather than relying on solid sculptural moulding, it uses an intricate network of embroidered filaments to contour the body, creating the effect of nerve endings spreading across the skin—a continuation of the anatomy-inspired embroideries Gupta introduced at his Paris haute couture show in January. The corset is offset by a fluid black sari, giving the look a dark, almost Gothic quality.
More expansive than Gupta’s previous bridal collection, it is divided into “lunar and solar celestial worlds”. Midnight blues, icy greys and silvers gradually give way to champagne golds, ivories, yellows and saturated pinks, “echoing the coming together of the sun and moon”.
“Of course it stems from my collection concept but there’s also more demand from the client,” says Gupta, explaining the idea behind adding more colours. “There are personalities that are able to really carry and enjoy bright, complicated, exaggerated couture. And then there are people who want something lighter but still shows the craftsmanship. I have done maximalism so much, now I want to do art pieces that are lighter.”
In other words, Gupta isn’t abandoning spectacle. He’s making room for movement, and in Indian bridal couture that remains a bold proposition.