Masaba Gupta has her hands full. While playing full-time mom to her six-month-old daughter Matara, the designer has also been busy expanding her eponymous brand ‘House of Masaba.’Masaba has unveiled her brand’s largest flagship store in New Delhi, with an eye on redefining wedding fashion. The silhouettes in a vivid palette bear her signature style — traditional elegance blended with modern design.QIt has been busy times for the House of Masaba. What’s your current state of mind?I am finding the calm within the chaos. I find myself extremely driven — wanting to do new things and to push myself.QYour clothes bear your distinctive signature. Who is the Masaba Gupta woman?I think the Masaba Gupta woman is somebody who’s a free-spirited and independent thinker about who she would like to be and what her form of expression is. I think she’s also somebody who speaks through the way she dresses or the kind of makeup she wears.QDo you see a shift in the way Indian women dress? What’s the one fashion advice you want to give women?The way women dress and what their idea of dressing up is are very different. I think Mumbai is a lot more relaxed. There’s almost a sense of urgency in their style. You can see that they’ve stepped out of their homes, not thinking so much about what they’re wearing. But they always have that one little surprise in the way that they put their look together. It could be footwear, or earrings, or a lipstick choice. You’ll always see that one accent. But in the North, women put a lot more thought into what they are wearing.Generally, Indian women have become more conscious about their choices, because I think they want meaningful pieces in their wardrobe. I think in that sense, they’re minimalist, but at the same time, maximalist in the way they approach. I don’t think they want to fit into a mould. A woman can be kitsch and quirky one day, and wear an all-white, pure cotton kurta-pyjama the next, with no makeup at all.The only fashion advice I want to give women is: Be yourself and dress for your body type and not for what Instagram tells you.QThe last few years have been creatively rewarding. How have your aesthetics as a designer evolved?I have started to pay more attention to the product and retail experience that we offer online in our stores. I have also just put the finishing touches on the way our social media is communicating with people, and what our packaging looks like. I think we are now softening the edges which I thought were a bit raw for the brand. The product, of course, continues to be a focus.QHow has life changed since Matara’s birth?Life has changed for the better since Matara’s birth, because I have become a lot more focused on getting the job done. I don’t have the time to procrastinate. I just sit down, even if I have 15 minutes, and get things done. So because time is not infinite, I am more organised than I was.QWhat advice do you have for new mothers, since things do get overwhelming at every stage?I don’t want to give any advice to any new mothers! The only thing that I think worked for me as a new mother was to speak to my doctor more.QYou are a foodie, given your recorded fondness for biscuit pudding at your baby shower, and your recent post on the granola bar being the most energising food post-lactation. What’s on your plate?Well, right now it’s protein because I’m still nursing Matara. It’s a lot of lactation-driven food, so lots of liquids, lots of hydration and lots of protein.QSo what’s next? Any plans to launch a kiddie clothesline?Nothing next as of now. I’m just putting my head down and trying to resolve everything that we have done. Fine jewellery has been a big category extension, and we have a lot of work there, so I’m just trying to get that in order. That’s my focus for this coming year.QGive us a style hack for all seasons.You can never go wrong with a great quality cotton T-shirt and a pair of cotton pyjamas. Nor can you go wrong with a white kurta-pyjama. I think that’s something that one should always carry, and works for all seasons because you can layer it up or down as per the seasonsQA must-have this summer?Fine jewellery ear-cuffs, because I know girls will be putting their hair up a lot. It’s too hot to leave it down. So when you want to be light, it’s nice to just wear little tops and accessorise your ears; so I think that is the new cool thing.
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