How near-death experience inspired designer Gaurav Gupta's 'Fire' collection
What's the story
Acclaimed designer Gaurav Gupta recently unveiled his Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2025 collection at Paris Fashion Week. The new line, aptly titled Across the Flame, has been met with widespread praise from the fashion world.
In a recent interview introducing the collection, Gupta revealed that this collection was inspired by a personal tragedy involving fire that affected both him and his partner, poet Navkirat Sodhi.
Personal influence
Gupta's personal experience with fire shaped his collection
Seated beside Sodhi, Gupta shared in the clip that he and his partner were in a tragic fire accident eight months ago born out of a candle.
While Gupta's right hand got burned, Sodhi suffered burn injuries in over 55% of her body.
Sodhi was in the ICU for 2.5 months, and the doctor gave her a 50% chance of survival.
Not only did his partner serve as his muse but she also opened the show for him.
Symbolic representation
Gupta's collection was a tribute to resilience and rebirth
This traumatic experience became the inspiration behind not just the theme but also the choice of materials and colors used in the designs.
Gupta used this platform to pay tribute to the strength of the human spirit in overcoming adversity.
He said, "Fire is a very strong element...it can destroy you or it can create you."
This duality is reflected in his designs, which beautifully merge destruction and creation into a cohesive narrative.
Gratitude expressed
The designer expressed gratitude for the support received
The Central Saint Martins graduate showed how fire can burn through metal and how, the color of burn bruises change- from black to dark purple, from dark purple to blue.
Despite the tragedy, Gupta was thankful for the support he and his partner received during their recovery.
"We were very lucky to have a lot of people around us who helped us come out of it," he said.