Entrevista a la fundadora de la marca de moda Mannat Gupta

Tell us a little about yourself, the brand and your sustainable side.

I, Mannat Gupta, am the founder and designer at MANNAT GUPTA, a contemporary made-to-order and made-to-measure womenswear label from India. I graduated from Parsons School for Design, New York in 2017 and launched my label in January 2020.

MANNAT GUPTA is a label creating unique, elegant and eclectic ensembles tailored for the modern woman. The brand cherishes artisanship, culture and amalgamates it with the creative voice of the modern, powerful woman, emulating her life choices through each collection.

Meticulously crafted, imbibing a fine and rich colour palette, the brand uses hand-pleating techniques along with manipulation of various fabric weights. A careful marriage between opulence and ease, all of our creations can be translated and worn for myriad seasons, destinations, and moods. However, more than anything, we want to be a part of a universe that supports, uplifts and celebrates all kinds of tenacious women; a world where style and substance go hand-in-hand.

We, as a brand, do not believe in sustainable materials. We believe that there is no way for any of us to know how sustainably a material or fabric is being procured or created. Therefore, we truly believe in sustainable methods of production and use.

In addition, the craftsmanship and process of producing a product hold the utmost importance to us. All our materials are locally sourced to reduce the carbon footprint. In the past, we have also tried to come up with alternative sustainable ways to create our products.

For instance, for one of our previous collections instead of using traditional dyeing techniques we used the ice-dyeing method along with natural dyes to reduce water wastage and avoid chemical wastage.

What has been your inspiration for your latest collection?

Our latest collection, Merak, was inspired by Covid-19. The pandemic affected people all around the world and brought in huge emotional transitions. People detached themselves from certain things and attached themselves to certain things during that time period.

Using the same concept as a starting point for our collection, we wanted to come up with designs that were sustainable as well as multi-functional. We wanted to create pieces that can be worn at different times of the day or for various occasions/events but also not lose the comfort aspect. They are minimal as well as versatile.

We have used attachments such as metal zippers, fabric buttons, plastic buttons, etc. to change the silhouette and functionality of the pieces. For instance, a sweatshirt mini dress can be changed to a sweatshirt or a crop top. Or a bodycon maxi dress can be changed/worn in 8 different ways; from a mini dress to a co-ord set, or from a maxi skirt to a crop top or sweater.

Can you tell us about your future projects with the brand?

There needs to be a concept or thought process in mind before we design or work on any collection. Usually, my designs or projects for MANNAT GUPTA are inspired by my personal experiences and emotions. I am hoping to continue with the same process as of now. I think the brand will also stick to its forte of working with pleats and drapes.

However, we always try to come up with unconventional ways of creating those and mixing other elements at the same time; be it in terms of the kind of fabrics being used or the treatment being done on the fabrics, or the silhouette being used for it.

How do you envision the future of fashion in about 10 years? In terms of style and trends.

Ideally, I would like to envision a future where fast fashion does not exist and ethical methods and practices are used to produce garments but that’s just wishful thinking.

As someone once correctly said, ‘some things never go out of style,’ and we completely agree with the same. We try to produce pieces that are ever-lasting and can be used for years to come.

We feel that flared pants and suits, in general, will never go out of style. Baggy or boxy clothing is in trend again, so we feel that is not going away anytime soon. Prints are something that might get restricted to specific collections or seasons but won’t go out of style in the next decade.