I wear other designers too, what's constant is my pink lipstick: Masaba Gupta

Quirky prints, whimsical designs and experimental fashion — this is what defines Masaba Gupta. A designer, and now the creative director of online portal Myntra's inhouse brand Anouk, the young lass has come a long way in a short span of time. In the news recently for her engagement with Bollywood producer Madhu Mantena, Masaba is charting a new path in her personal and professional life.

Masaba’s designs have flourished on the ramp and among film stars. Shifting to the online world from brick and mortar stores, is only a natural progression, she tells us. Although the medium has changed, the essence remains the same. “My designs are for a woman with a free spirit, but someone who is still connected to her roots. She’s experimental and doesn't like to follow the herd when it comes to fashion –— like a girl who likes to wear a kurta, probably with a hood on it,” she says giving an idea of the aesthetics she endorses. But unlike many of her contemporaries, Masaba doesn’t go on an overdrive when it comes to selling her brand. “I believe one’s designs must be an extension of one’s self. But that doesn’t mean I only wear my brand, I wear other designers too. What's constant is my pink lipstick — that’s my signature style per se,” she says.

Over the past few years that Masaba has been part of the industry, there’ve been a few highs and lows, but some moments have stood out — like the time Sonam Kapoor wore her clothes to Cannes. “Doesn’t matter that the outfit was bashed badly, but it was a big moment for me,” she says with a laugh. “This other time that she wore my outfit on the cover of an international magazine, I felt that it was a stamp of approval and that my designs have international appeal,” she adds.

Masaba’s mother Neena Gupta contributes to her work too. “Mum looks after the accounts, so she’s very involved with the organisation. I make it a point to only show her the designs at the very beginning and after it’s done. Anything in between she can’t handle and starts panicking! But, she has an eye for detail and understands sensibilities of the young and the old, so her inputs are vital. I do away with certain extra details sometimes if she doesn’t approve of it.” That isn't the same with her father Sir Vivian Richards though.

“He isn't interested at all. He likes clothes though, but he’s got too much going on to be involved in my work. He doesn’t have the time.” However, Masaba isn’t about all work and no play, “I need my vacations and for me vacations are all about shopping and spas. When in India, I go to a resort in Shimla which offers the best massage in the world. Abroad, I love to go to Dubai, London and Milan, where I can shop to my heart’s content.”