Known to bring his futuristic approach towards design to life with structured silhouettes, Indian designer Gaurav Gupta is no stranger to coveted affairs like the Oscars. The couturier, who styled Oscar debutant Megan Thee Stallion in 2022 in a mystical sea creature-esque gown, found himself at the Academy Awards this year as well.
This time around, Gaurav soaked the international attention on the now champagne-coloured carpet as he styled RRR actor Jr NTR in a black bandhgala sherwani with a golden lion embroidered on the side.
While NTR in an interview ahead of his Oscars debut decoded the look for his audience back home and shared how the lion represents India’s national animal and also RRR’s roar, Gaurav had more to say about the ensemble.
Talking about what went into designing the outfit, the designer opened up on his vision, saying, “I derived inspiration from a fusion of various elements. It is a surreal experience to witness Indian cinema being celebrated at the Oscars. Therefore, I wanted the outfit to reflect NTR's personality while also embodying a truly global Indian identity.”
“The antique tiger embroidery on the black velvet Bandhgala flawlessly ties all the elements together. The ‘tiger’ signifies India's national animal, pays tribute to Jr NTR, who is popularly known as ‘The Young Tiger,' and symbolises his character in the blockbuster film RRR,” Gaurav adds, elaborating on why he chose the golden lion embroidery for the Telugu superstar.
For the unversed, the ace Indian designer has been experimenting with animal-inspired patchwork for as long as the fashion folks can remember. His menswear, in particular, carries embroideries of birds, panthers, tigers, pegasus, snakes, and more. Even the menswear logo is a centaur – a half-human, half-horse character from Greek mythology.
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Gaurav also let us in on his working relationship with Jr NTR who, much like the designer, was convinced about styling a traditional Indian attire for the Oscars.
“Jr NTR and I were firm from the start that we must do an Indian look for the Oscars as the actor was representing India on such a prestigious platform. It’s the first time that an Asian song has won the category of the Best Original Song and we are so glad we represented India through our traditional attire,” he says.
In his closing remarks, Gaurav congratulated team RRR on becoming the first Indian feature production to win an Oscar. The epic drama’s soundtrack Naatu Naatu by MM Keeravani was awarded the Best Original Song Award at the 95th Academy Awards.
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