Masaba Gupta sat down with us, to fill us in on all the exciting things she has in her kitty; including her debut line for Anouk by Myntra, her Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2015-16 show where she will showcase her first line of bags and an all new role that’s still hush-hush.
ELLE: Your debut line as Creative Director for Anouk by Myntra is all set to launch on the 12th of August. Can you tell us about your experience in this new role?
Masaba Gupta: It has been a new experience. Designing for the masses is always something I find challenging and exciting at the same time. Luckily Myntra and Anouk took care of the price control but that does limit the freedom you get in picking fabric, styles (for eg. we can’t use elaborate lining) as the costs go up. So it curbs you but in a wonderful way. I find it a good long-term plan for my label as well. We’ve had fun with the silhouettes; we strongly think people are ready for something besides just the A-line kurta.
ELLE: Can we expect your signature prints on it? If yes, what is the inspiration behind the print stories?
MG: My signature, yes. But it’s not what I do for my eponymous label because I don’t ever want both to overlap. I think it’s unfair to the people who buy my clothes but I’ve done it in my style. The inspiration was a mix of many stories. We have the lock and key motif with parrots, lots of florals and pencils to add to the quirk quotient. We wanted a very India-proud, kitsch collection.
ELLE: Your Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2015-16 show is coming up! What can we look forward to? We’ve also heard you’re debuting a bag line?
MG: It’s very exciting especially because it’s my first solo show at LFW. I can’t believe I started here as a Gen Next designer. You will see the launch of my leather handbag, yes. It’s been mad fun, it is definitely my aesthetic and definitely what I would love carrying myself. We are using the best leather so no compromises there (Saffiano leather is my fave). The line is a mix of canvas, prints and leather.
Apart from that, my clothing line is a slightly more Westernised collection; lots of floaty fabrics broken down with stark whites and blacks in poplin. I am currently obsessed with horses so that’s the key motif but we are trying to depict movement and prowess of horses through the styling and overall energy.
ELLE: Any learning you gained from doing an Instagram show last season? What worked and what didn’t? Would you do it again?
MG: Yeah, I could have done it better. I do give myself a small pat on the back because no one had a clue on how to execute it and I figured it out. We didn’t know the approach. The clothes and details could have been shown better. It became a fun showcase but lost its seriousness somewhere. But I would do it again only if 30 other designers don’t jump on it and do it. I dislike doing things other people have overdosed on.
ELLE: Anything else in the pipeline – exciting collaborations, new lines, etc.?
MG: I am adding a new job to my life. But I can’t reveal it. Hint: it’s going to solve every girls ‘what to wear, when to wear ‘ problem. Also, starting my e-store in 10 days!
Flip through the gallery to see what’s in store
You may also want to read: Masaba Gupta brings you live updates over snapchat
