Gaurav Jai Gupta

Textile & Fashion Designer, Akaaro

New Delhi

Text: Border&Fall

Photography: Akaaro, stills from the film Koyaanisqatsi

The Beginning I am originally from Rohtak, Haryana. I always wanted to be a musician or photographer but I ended up in fashion by accident… I was one of those who didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know much about clothing but I knew I didn’t want a conventional career. It so happened that two or three of my friends were applying to fashion school and I gave it a shot. It really was that simple, because I truly didn’t know what to do. I can’t say that style had an obvious influence on me growing up, but I was often particular about what I wore.

I moved to Delhi for my undergraduate studies at NIFT, for a foundation degree in Fashion Design and Information Technology – it was a newly launched course (which doesn’t exist anymore). It had a mix of graphics, design and fashion. While at NIFT, I don’t remember being crazy about fashion, I was more interested in design; but the environment turned things around for me. The first and second year I didn’t understand what was going on, but towards the end, I started to figure it out.

I began to drape a lot. That remains a starting point for me to begin understanding the shape of the garment, and perhaps why my pieces look quite sculptural.

I was always interested in process and imagery and I liked the whole idea of putting things together and presenting them. I am not a very patient maker and I get distracted easily so I never thought of making clothes. In fact, for my graduation I didn’t make clothes – I made fabrics. To be honest, I never stitched in college, I never really understood the technical side of it. I began to drape a lot, that remains a starting point for me to begin understanding the shape of the garment and perhaps why my pieces look quite sculptural. I was also in awe of a human’s ability to build things – I still find it amazing to observe how buildings are made. I was never comfortable with product design and would start things and leave them half done. But the fabrics I made created a buzz on campus and I got a lot of press. I used copper and steel in 2002, which was unusual; people still tell me they remember those textiles.

I wanted a second degree to further build my skill base and researched many schools – subsequently attending Chelsea College of Art and Design London, for a BA honours in Textile Design based on advice from my mentors at NIFT, namely Balbir Singh. It’s one of the finest understated colleges – I feel very connected with it as the focus was mostly in art and product design, there was not much fashion.

I was also in awe of a human’s ability to build things – I still find it amazing to observe how buildings are made.

On moving back to Delhi, I did a lot of freelance work and teaching jobs, eventually setting up a studio. In 2008 I attended the Origins show in London and then created my first full collection, which debuted at Wills fashion week in 2010. It has been an organic and unplanned journey.

Moment As of now, there has not been any turning point, nothing that has truly been a defining point. There are times when I’m traveling or at an exhibit and I see a body of work that makes me go ‘wow’. What inspires me is always music and strong visual imagery.

When I watch a film with a visual sequence of images, no dialogue and a background score – those are the moments when I get goosebumps. I start dreaming then.

People Issey Miyake, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Nuno, Gustavo Santolala, Alejandro González Iñárritu

References Music. The political situation of India. Exploring answers to the question ‘why?’. Cinema. There are two films called Babel and Beautiful which has music by Gustavo Santolala, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu that really moved me. I find visual imagery and photography very moving, and my work is becoming more about creating moods.

Digital references You Tube, Google, Wikipedia

One more thing I strongly believe in organic evolution and rationale. Organic evolution largely because of my unplanned journey. I think planning is important but when you go with the flow there are sometimes surprising and wonderful outcomes. In my life it’s been like that, whatever I haven’t planned has happened.

Rationale, in a larger context, I would call logic. All my work has a rationale, references and research about where it’s coming from and what I’m trying to communicate, even if it’s only in terms of understanding it for myself.

Fashion is a medium where you can communicate a lot as an individual but in a generic sense, people are not interested in stories.

Work

Swarovski Collaboration 2012, Developed Hand-woven Textiles interwoven with Swarovski crystal thread for AW2013 Alchemy Fashion Festival 2011, South Bank Centre, London with British Council and BLOW PR London Fashion Week 2009, Shared Talent India by Centre of Sustainable Fashion London Co-Curator & Exhibitor with Mr. Jimmy Choo 2008, London Calling Exhibition Sushant School of Design 2010-12 Head of Department/Founding Core Member Woven Textile Designer AW201, Duro Olowu London Hand-woven Textile Designer SS2011, Heimstone Paris Woven Textile Designer 2008, Jimmy Choo Couture, London Trend Reporter South East Asia 2006-07, PREVIEW U.K: Commissioned by The Design Laboratory at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design