Anurag Gupta’s new edit explores the intersection of innovation, nature, and architecture
NEXA Spotlight Winner Anurag Gupta’s collection, The New Primitive – Reclaiming Rawness in a Refined World, showcased at the Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI, stunned with its visual impact. Inspired by Japanese artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi, it explores the intersection of material innovation, nature, and architecture through experimental textiles and engineered silhouettes. Rather than presenting nature and technology as opposing forces, the designer approached them as complementary systems capable of evolving together.
Anurag Gupta’s The New Primitive redefines raw luxury
At the centre of the collection is a newly developed textile created from natural fibres and engineered using plasma technology processing. This advanced surface treatment enhances the fabric’s receptivity, tensile stability, and structural memory, while preserving the tactile qualities associated with organic materials. Developed with low water usage and minimal pesticide requirements, the material reflects a conscious direction toward sustainable fibre practices while supporting agricultural communities and long-term environmental responsibility.
Anurag takes us through the same.
Tell us in detail about the palette, textures, and fabrics of the edit.
The colour palette moves through earth-derived tones like charcoal, burnt umber, muted ivory, and deep indigo, punctuated with controlled accents of rust and oxidised reds. The garments are built through layering, modular panels, and asymmetrical construction, allowing the silhouettes to shift with movement. There is a deliberate interplay between structured tailoring and fluid draping. Textures play a significant role. Matte surfaces are contrasted with subtle sheens, and raw edges against refined finishes, creating a tactile dialogue within each piece. The fabrics are primarily natural fibres enhanced through technological processes, giving them both resilience and an unexpected hand feel.
What’s the idea behind the collection?
At its core, the collection reflects on a post-pandemic emotional landscape, specifically the absence and fragmentation of human connection. I wanted to explore how we reconstruct identity and intimacy in this new era. The garments embody this through layering, distortion, and partial structures, almost like something is being rebuilt but not entirely resolved. It’s about navigating the space between isolation and reconnection, much like the innovative and evolving experiences we see in modern design today.
How have textures been employed in this collection?
Texture is used as a primary storytelling tool. Rather than relying on prints or embellishment, the narrative unfolds through contrasts in surface and finish — raw versus treated, soft versus structured. Some fabrics are manipulated to create irregularities and depth, while others are left almost untouched to preserve their natural character. This layering of textures creates a multi-sensory experience, where the garments feel as complex as the ideas they represent.