India kickstarted its first digital fashion week today with India Couture Week 2020, joining other fashion weeks in Paris and Helsinki that made their debut a few months ago. Gaurav Gupta, who opened the schedule on Fashion Design Council of India’s (FDCI) website and official social media platforms, didn’t disappoint with his beautiful sculpture statement gowns, newer forms of sari gowns with structured wings, new colours like cerise and dramatic shimmer. There was sculpting on the jacket for men as well, and a lot of velvet. With some upcycled archival pieces, it was both nostalgic and futuristic. It was what Gupta had promised earlier in the day, but the bigger narrative? His unconventional models.

Mouthing “my name is love”, they underlined the ‘differences and inclusivity’ theme of the film that Gupta insisted was not a campaign but a movement. Among the models was a young lesbian couple, Anjali and Manauti from Gurgaon, Vee a trans-male and Anjali Lama, India’s first trans-female supermodel. They were joined by equally graceful and confident beauties from Jharkhand, Assam and Haryana. “I thought of love and something we have all been reflecting upon during the pandemic,” the couturier had said before the show. For those who demanded more visuals or couldn’t wait till the next day to make an appointment, Gupta’s online store, launched earlier this month, seemed prepared. After all, that is one advantage of going digital, by reaching a larger audience and converting interest to sales.

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