His sleeked-down structured silhouettes can be mounted on a canvas and, why not. After all, designer Harsh Gupta’s muse is the celebrated French conceptual artist Daniel Buren, whose trademark vertical stripes, striking colours and architectural appeal flow smoothly through Harsh’s creations.
“These influential stripes that have transformed many a public space in France are too hard to miss,” he says. And the geometric columns and contrasting hues gradually began to take form on his “fun, chic and high-street outfits”.
Harsh’s first encounter with Buren was in a library where he sat going through books on art and fashion. “I just couldn’t flip past the pages that featured his works. I felt an instant connect. I realised that stripes can be deeply flattering on clothes too when worn right,” he says.
With the lines between all arts blurring and fashion designers getting more experimental and seeking far-out themes, style is being redefined to weave in quirky ideas and unique concepts. So it was not difficult for Harsh to interpret Buren’s masterpieces in his own distinctive way and come up with gallery-inspired collections under his label Harsh Harsh.
“Today’s fashion is about a coordinated and an inclusive approach, one that easily accommodates a broader aesthetic sensibility,” says the designer. “Social media has brought the universe to your design table. It has made research effortless. You can now tailor your imagination to reflect global trends and look beyond your genre for a refreshing appeal.”
Since today’s women prefer something outside the usual when it comes to style, Harsh has tried to capture the changing attitude and approach in the stylish cuts and sculpted shapes of his dresses. His collection includes mesh skirts, sheer dresses, racer-back tops, illusion-bodysuits, colour-block maxis, bodycon tube gowns, super-slim gym pants, camisole slips and cut-out leotard dresses.
While celebrity clients such as Deepika Padukone, Madhuri Dixit and Aditi Rao give his designs the visibility, Harsh also wants to reach out to the woman next door.
