The ongoing pandemic has affected millions of people worldwide. As it continues to claim lives, ravage livelihoods, and severely affect businesses and industries, it has also had the effect of uniting people through common emotions of hope, courage, and solidarity. In the face of uncertainty, they remain our finest allies.

In response to the times, Condé Nast India has launched ‘Vogue + GQ Myntra Behind The Mask’, an initiative led by a five-episode video series that encourages wearing of masks and directly benefits Indian kaarigars (craftspeople). In the videos, five prominent Indian designers—Anita Dongre, Manish Malhotra, Tarun Tahiliani, Gaurav Gupta and Rahul Mishra—design a mask prototype using elements from Indian art and culture. They also talk about their industry during the pandemic, their socially-distanced lives and the thought behind their mask designs. With an objective of giving back to society, a collection inspired by their designs is available to buy on Myntra. All profits will go to GiveIndia, and reach seven NGOs helping kaarigars across the country.

In this story, we ‘unmask’ designer Gaurav Gupta, learn more about the inspiration behind his futuristic prototype design, and explore how his approach to life has changed during the pandemic.

#BehindTheMask: Gaurav Gupta

It is difficult to classify Gaurav Gupta’s eclectic creations, which are as much inspired by the fine traditions of the past as they are by modern-day aesthetics. “I tend to always challenge notions around meanings of words, like what is traditional, what is futuristic, or what is a sari, what is a lehenga, gown or a shirt,” he says. “I try to stay truthful to myself as much as I can and, in that sense, I look up to Gandhiji’s philosophy of being truthful to yourself.”

These days, Gupta is trying to make the best of the ongoing situation and there have been facets of his life that he is paying more attention to. His mornings often begin with an online Zoom yoga class, which keeps him grounded throughout the day. Gupta reveals that for the first time he is being extra mindful of what he eats. His attention has also been with the many artisans in his industry whose work he has long represented in his many creations.

Although Gupta’s work is often perceived as “avant-garde” or “futuristic”, what often goes unnoticed is the underlying traditional craft behind it. “A lot of people don’t realise that we use a lot of traditional Indian embroidery techniques and materials,” he says. “But just the way they are used, it doesn’t look like, say, zardozi and chikankari, and that’s what makes it so new.”

Gupta's Pattachitra-inspired mask

Gupta has been promoting wearing a mask for half a decade now, previously owing to the high pollution levels in the country. Now, with the pandemic it has become even more essential. For ‘Behind The Mask’, Gupta designed a Pattachitra-inspired prototype on 100 per cent hand-woven cotton, which is eco-friendly. Originating in Odisha and the Bengal region, Pattachitra is traditional scroll painting that draws on the rich source of Indian mythology. He marries it with his design philosophy by including words like ‘Love’ and 'Hope’.

Created digitally, Gupta's design is a peek at traditional and futuristic aesthetics at the same time. Additionally, in a stroke of form meeting function, he adds a hidden pocket with raw camphor that purifies the air that the wearer breathes. “It’s not every natural for us to wear a mask, but as we wear it there is a shield that comes between us and the rest of the world,” Gupta says. “And in the process, we unmask those layers we have built over years and decades of how we want people to perceive us.”