For Quantum Entanglement, his first solo bridal couture outing at Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre, Gaurav Gupta cleared his calendar of fashion’s biggest stages. Paris Couture Week. India Couture Week. Both set aside for one night of singular focus. The decision paid off in a spectacle that refused to play by the old rules of bridal fashion.

The runway was awash in romance, zardozi and layered craftsmanship. Gupta’s 75-piece collection, including 10 dedicated bridal looks, merged heritage techniques with contemporary flair. Banarasi brocades, some taking up to 200 days to weave, were paired with crystal webs and hand-cut florals. Gilded zari shimmered under the lights, while Chantilly lace from France found new life in elaborate drapes. Semi-precious stones, mother-of-pearl, and temple motifs bridged the gap between heirloom detail and sci-fi fantasy. Laser-cut petals and sculptural corsetry with handwoven piping spoke to an obsessive attention to craft, occasionally bordering on excess but never lacking ambition.

The menswear, however, made its own case for relevance. All in tonal shades of white, the groom looks were engineered, not merely tailored. Lapels and buttons refused conventional alignment, trailing in unexpected curves and folds. Pleated drapes mirrored the fluidity of Gupta’s sari gowns yet maintained a sharp masculine edge. One standout was a sculptural white suit with asymmetric lapels, secured with a single gold brooch. Here, architectural precision met the ease of drape, creating a silhouette that demanded a second look.

This rethinking of the groom’s place in bridal couture was most evident in the finale. Showstoppers Sidharth Malhotra, in a sharply sculpted sherwani, and Janhvi Kapoor, in a richly embroidered gown, walked side by side. Neither outshone the other. The visual weight was balanced, signalling a rare recalibration in a tradition where brides have long commanded the stage.

Beneath the surface shimmer was a clear menswear manifesto. Asymmetric closures cut across established norms. Tonal beadwork offered texture without tipping into ornamental excess. Clean lines and sculptural flourishes ensured that each look was compelling from every angle. Gupta did not simply add the groom as a supporting act. He placed him at the centre of his own couture narrative, granting him a presence as commanding, deliberate, and Instagram-ready as any bridal counterpart.

With Quantum Entanglement, Gupta not only expanded his design vocabulary but also challenged the hierarchy of Indian bridal fashion. The message was clear: the groom is no longer just an accessory.