At the recent Spring 2025 Haute Couture Week, Gaurav Gupta and Rahul Mishra showcased collections that were not just visually stunning but deeply personal, offering a window into their minds and the emotions that fuel them. Meanwhile, Dhruv Kapoor brought his distinctly Indian yet globally relevant aesthetic to Milan, proving that Indian fashion is no longer just making an appearance—it’s taking centre stage.
Gaurav Gupta: A Journey of Healing and Rebirth
Gaurav Gupta’s latest collection was an emotional deep dive into healing and rebirth, inspired by a personal chapter of his life. At its core was his partner, Navkirat Sodhi—a poet and performer, and a survivor of a traumatic fire incident—an experience that became the heartbeat of the collection. Sodhi opened the show wearing a wearing a sheer pale dress, walking barefoot, showcasing the scars on her legs.
Resilience and transformation were woven into every piece, as Gupta’s signature sculptural silhouettes took on new meaning. Fluid lines, organic forms, and innovative materials symbolised emergence and renewal, pushing the boundaries of couture while staying rooted in storytelling. “This show is part of our healing,” shared Gupta, while speaking about the theme of the show.
Gupta’s influence, however, isn’t limited to the runway. His creations have been spotted on some of the biggest global icons—Beyoncé wore his designs on her Renaissance tour, and Megan Thee Stallion turned heads at Paris Couture Week in one of his striking chain gowns. With each red-carpet moment, Gupta is steadily cementing his place in the international fashion landscape.
Rahul Mishra: A Tribute to Loss—Both Personal and Planetary
Rahul Mishra’s showcase took a different emotional route, exploring themes of environmental destruction and personal grief, the recent loss of his father. The collection felt like a love letter to loss, blending exquisite craftsmanship with a deeper commentary on the world around us. His intricate embroidery and delicate compositions told a story of fragility—of nature, of human connection, and of time slipping away.
Mishra has been a regular at Paris Haute Couture Week since 2020, using his platform to champion Indian artisanship while reimagining it for a modern audience. With every collection, he moves further away from being just an Indian designer—he’s an artist with a universal voice, proving that couture can be as much about storytelling as it is about spectacle.
Dhruv Kapoor Brings India to Milan
Over in Milan, Dhruv Kapoor was busy reinterpreting Indian sartorial traditions for a global audience. His inspiration? Every day—an image of a girl adjusting her creased dupatta, a man in workwear sitting on a doorstep, a boy carrying marigold garlands. These small, almost unnoticed moments were plastered on his backstage mood board and brought to life on the runway.
The result? A collection that blurred the lines between heritage and contemporary cool. Moody floral suits with belted blazers, sari-inspired skirts and tops, mustard miniskirts embroidered with jasmine motifs—every look was a fusion of nostalgia and modernity. Kapoor’s ability to mix tradition with subversive styling shone through in hybrid Mary Jane-Oxford shoes, crisp cotton shirts paired with fluid mermaid gowns, and shimmering fabric shirt jackets.
No Longer Just “Indian Designers”
Gaurav Gupta, Rahul Mishra, and Dhruv Kapoor aren’t just making their mark—they’re redefining what it means to be an Indian designer on the world stage. No longer boxed into cultural clichés, they’re proving that Indian fashion is as forward-thinking, innovative, and emotionally resonant as any of its Western counterparts.