New store launches are now common in the City of Pearls which is burgeoning with an elegant balance of trends and heritage crafts. From top designers like Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahiliani, and Manish Malhotra’s stores dotting the plush lanes of Banjara and Jubilee Hills to city-based design mavens reminding us of Hyderabad’s age-old métier in design, the city embraces all to weave its pluralistic sartorial fabric. Joining the bandwagon, celebrity designer Gazal Gupta is soon to launch her seventh store in Hyderabad.
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The Delhi-based designer who specialises in couture, prêt and demi-couture has her creations donned by Neetu Kapoor, Huma Quareshi, Neha Dhupia and others. An excited Gazal speaks to us about how her prior visit to the City of Nizams inspired her to launch a store here, “The best things in life happen unexpectedly, hence like all our other stores, Hyderabad flagship store was not a planned move. In 2022, I visited the city for an event and fell in love with its vibe. Post our event, we decided to stay a bit longer to explore the city and came across a heritage building on road number 7 at Banjara Hills with a magnificent structure including seven arches and open verandahs. From there, it was love at first sight which led to an instant inclination towards opening our next store in the heart of Hyderabad — Banjara Hills.”
She tells us that the welcoming nature of the people in Hyderabad is something that stands out from all other metro cities. “They make you feel at home away from home. The amalgamation of Nawabi tehzeeb with the South Indian culture makes the city a warm place to be in. From its flavoursome food to historical buildings, the city is full of love, art, and culture,” she adds.
Ahead of the launch, the designer has shot a surreal campaign titled GGLOVE7 with Hyderabadi fashion bloggers at iconic sites like Charminar and streets of Old City. The models dazzle in ravishing creations that pay homage to the city's appreciation for age-old crafts of the yore. For instance, a Tree Of Life in dupion silk is adorned with dabka gold, sequin and pearl work, Chinar Peacock Jaal Lehenga can be seen in raw silk with gota patti and silver nakshi work while a Mughal Bagh Sari in dupion silk beguiles us with ornate metal sequin embroidery.
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Telling us about the campaign, Gazal mentions, “To add a special touch to our campaign we collaborated with seven leading influencers from the city to tap into the core of the Hyderabadi culture. Our garments are inspired by various architectural elements seen in the city’s art, historical places etc. The edit will be available at the soon-to-open store.” Apart from the latest drop, the new store will be showcasing a range of ensembles varying from bridal to resort wear, prints to chanderis as well as summary demi-couture. Gazal plans to roll out new collections for city folks with an unfading optimism, “People here have the urge to explore something new and they have a fresh perspective on fashion despite the city having its roots in history and culture which makes it natural to have a presence here.”
GGLOVE7 is Rs. 70,000 upwards. At Banjara Hills.
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