Masaba Gupta

Gupta was born in 1989[2] and is the daughter of Indian actress Neena Gupta and West Indies cricketer Sir Viv Richards and grew up in Mumbai.[3] Her parents never married and she was raised by her mother, who moved the family from New Delhi to Mumbai. Gupta found a father figure in her late maternal grandfather, and when she turned 20 she reconnected with her father and the two now share a strong bond.[4]

At the age of 8 she wanted to become a tennis player,[5] but stopped training at 16.[3] Passionate about dance and music, Gupta wanted to join Shiamak Davar's dance group, but did not when her mother discouraged it.[6] She subsequently took up a course in music and dance[7] in London, but dropped out when she felt lonely and homesick.[8][7]

Gupta later joined Premlila Vithaldas Polytechnic of Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women's University.

Gupta has stated that her schooling was sometimes marred with racism from other students.[9][5]

At 19, Gupta applied for Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai with support from Wendell Rodricks. She named her first collection Kattran (English:miniature bits of fabric).[10] Her Lakme Fashion Week 2014 collection "Wanderess" was "inspired by novelist Roman Payne’s doe-eyed gypsy girl character, Saskia" in his novel, The Wanderess.[11] Gupta has become known for the creative and artistic names she gives each collection.

Gupta's design aesthetic has been defined as a blend of contemporary and traditional with modernity taking the upper hand. She specializes in ethnic wear for women and uses silk, chiffon and cotton as well as rich embroidery work,[12] and is noted for her unconventional prints along with feminine drapes and silhouettes.[13] The Mumbai daily broadsheet dna remarked her work has "a unique Indianness in a very modern context", citing her "Tamil script sarees and jackets" and the way she uses cotton and muslin.[14] Gupta was named one of the "Ten best Indian fashion designers you should know", by Culture Trip, a magazine style internet publication.[15]

In 2016, Gupta collaborated with Maybelline New York to produce a collection of clothes inspired by a new lipstick line that the company was launching, but the project fell through for a variety of logistical reasons.[16][17] She has stated that the biggest regret of her career was her Stylista collection.[17]

In 2017, she was tasked with representing India in an exhibit showcasing re-designs of Levi's iconic trucker jacket. She chose to use her signature cow motif. The exhibit also featured a re-design by Justin Timberlake and other celebrities.[18]

In 2018 she launched a hijab-saree line targeting Muslim women who want to wear Indian high fashion.[19]

In 2019, Netflix announced a new TV series starring Gupta and her mother Neena Gupta,[20] Masaba Masaba, a semi fictional series in which the duo show glimpses of their lives with fashion and film.[21]

Gupta married film producer Madhu Mantena in 2015 in a civil ceremony.[22] In late 2018 the couple announced that they were on a trial separation. In March 2019 they officially divorced. However, the two have remained good friends.[17][23]

Gupta has been credited as the first Indian designer to do a fashion show via Instagram. She claims that around 60 per cent of her sales happen through WhatsApp.[24][25]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Masaba Gupta.

• Official website