Gaurang Shah Captures The Colours Of Spring In Vibrant Hues of Gulal

Gaurang Shah’s love for colours began at the tender age of 10 when he used to work at his father’s store, which was a matching centre. The colourful memories of his childhood even today beautifully capture his love for colours and add vibrancy to his culturally rich collections.

“I am known for my colours,” Gaurang Shah tells News18 after he showcased his collection Gulal on Sustainable Fashion Day at Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI in Mumbai. Celebrating his love for colours in a musical soiree, Gaurang welcomed the spring season beautifully woven into an enchanting ambience of craftsmanship.

When asked where the inspiration stemmed from, Gaurang says, “In 2022, I presented the Sindoor collection, which was red. It is a series which has a colour theme and story. I started with red, this season we had pink for the Holi season, next season will be haldi (yellow) and so on.”

43 statement ensembles featuring sarees and lehengas took centre stage in Gaurang’s world of colours. This season, Gaurang paid homage to the long-forgotten embroideries such as Mochi, Parsi Gara, Petite Point, Kasuti, Phulkari, Kutch and Kashmiri and dynamic weaving techniques including jamdani, jacquard and dobby. Each majestic silhouette was a celebration of Indian textiles and Gaurang’s undying love for colours.

Purity, sincerity and peace sum up Gaurang’s collection Gulaal but it was the colourful presentation through music and dance that enhanced each ensemble. The show featured a dance recital showcasing the sacred relationship of Lord Krishna and Radha, through a traditional Kathakali performance blended with Gujarati folk music sung by Hardik Chauhan.

The magical, soul-stirring voice of Hardik Chauhan captivated the audience as Gaurang’s handcrafted labour of love twirled around celebrating his craft and cinematic showcase.

When asked about the cinematic experience he envisioned for the show, Gaurang shares, “That’s [cinematic experience] what it is for me. It’s not only the clothes, but the whole atmosphere I create with my music, dance, setup, lights and models.”

Gracing Gaurang’s majestic designs were supermodels Nayanika Chatterjee, Carol Gracias, Alesia Raut, Dipti Gujral, and Iris Maity to name a few. Celebrating his roots as well as the runway veterans at this show, Gaurang says, “They are all my classics. They have been working with me from my first show. They understand my clothes, they understand the way I want them to walk, talk with their eyes, connect with them [the audience].”

Closing the show with the melodious song ‘Rang sari’ followed by the models twirling to the music and emoting ‘Holi Hai’, Gaurang set the festive tone this season.