Exclusive: Gaurav Gupta's Paris Fashion Week show saw all three—catharsis, crying and couture

At Gaurav Gupta's recent Haute Couture show, proceedings began with Navkirat Sodhi—his life partner—appearing on the ramp, draped in white languid fabric that revealed deep burn marks covering her skin. Cue the collective goosebumps.

As Sodhi orated a poem while walking down the runway, she revealed the life-altering accident that led to the third-degree burns visible over 55% of her body. The incident in question took place last year, “We were leaving a party at a friend's house and a candle caught the corner of Navki's trousers in the driveway. Before she could realise it the flames were pelting up to her waist and I immediately jumped in to douse it. That's how I burned my hand, too,” says Gupta.

“…Let me tell you what I have learnt
from a reluctant, deep spark
Taller than you is your mind
smaller than you, your pain…”

Titled ‘Across The Flame’, the showcase was a meaningful exploration of finding inspiration through pain. After two months in the hospital, twenty doctors and countless Zoom calls, putting this collection together between bandage sessions, later—Gupta finally felt ready to share his suffering with the world. “We are still recovering, you know, but on that day we both felt a huge release. When you share your love and your pain with the larger audience, you heal with them as well,” said the couturier.

Throughout history, designers have celebrated their muses in their designs and concepts. Think of Amanda Harlech for Karl Lagerfeld and Audrey Hepburn for Givenchy. In the Indian context, we can now associate Sodhi with Gupta, too. And while they've been mislabelled as husband and wife in popular media, the designer reveals that their relationship defies definition. “I am gay and she is straight, but we've been living together for 25 years. We met in high school and fell in love, so we decided to be each other's primary life partners,” revealed Gupta.

Their connection not only speaks to unconventional forms of love but also serves as the root of their interspersed life-partner and designer-muse dynamics. On the personal front, after the incident, Gupta realised what it meant to be a true caregiver, “I would hold her hands while the dressing was done daily, it was the most painful and traumatic thing for her every day. She's my twin flame, that's the least I could do,” he added.

After countless prayers and spiritual healing sessions, the duo channelled their heart and physical ache into something creative on the professional side. “I've been in a state of shock and haven't really had time to process anything because I've had to immediately dive back into work. But the thought process behind this collection and the response make it worth it. So many people reached out sharing their accidents and relating to the suffering, it's much bigger than us now. We've become examples of hope,” he said.

Fresh off his show, Vogue India connected with the designer live from Paris and talked about everything between catharsis, crying and couture. Ahead, read excerpts from the interview.

Vogue India: Was there anything you were nervous about before the show?

Gaurav Gupta: Navki's itching fits. Between the chaos of getting all the models ready, my focus was still on her comfort, so I had my best friends keep an eye on her. Since she has to wear compression garments at all times, we decided to only remove them and get her dressed ten minutes before everyone was seated including Megan Thee Stallion. Luckily, everything went amazingly right from the moment she stepped out.

VI: What was the energy like post-show backstage?

GG: Everyone was hugging and crying. I was about to cry on the ramp itself but somehow contained it. It was such a beautiful moment looking at her and the show, it's been an emotional rollercoaster. Overwhelming is an understatement.

VI: What's one single thread tying the collection together?

GG: Resilience and love. It's as simple as love. I've accepted that I had PTSD post the incident and I'm being open about it and seeing a therapist, too. Being able to do Paris Fashion Week again, come back on the calendar to just even pull together a collection and put it out there was an achievement enough for me. It's a huge part of my healing and made me realise that we have to be examples of hope.

VI: There are a few powerful pieces like the Twin Flame orange dress and the Crystal Black gown—do you have a favourite?

GG: See with couture, each piece is a painting. You work on it for two to three months and then two weeks before you see it come together. I love all the pieces, but the twin flame dress stands out for me, it's quite literally Navki and I walking through fire and coming out of it. It's cathartic and endless at the same time. The crystal gown is another key piece, representing a rebirth.

VI: How was your experience working with Megan Thee Stallion, again?

GG: Megan was one of the first few people internationally to support us, and so having her there felt right. She wore a blue gown for her debut at the Oscars in 2022. I worked with stylist Eric Archibald on her Chakric Drape Chain Gown that featured strings of payals cascading and orbiting down her body. The metal placement was done in harmony with the energy fields present in the human body. And though she is young, sexy and rebellious—she is also beautifully hearted. She even came backstage and waited to meet Navki to express her warmth and appreciation.

VI: A precious moment from the past few days that you'll remember for a long time?

GG: Yesterday, we were all in a cab singing A Whole New World and crying. There's been a lot of that but that's good because even crying can be a happy thing.

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