I absolutely adore fashion’s favourite ‘love child’—35-year-old Masaba Gupta, daughter of Neena Gupta and Viv Richards. I attended the launch of her latest venture, aptly titled ‘Identity Crisis’. A delicious, quirky fine jewellery line, it is likely to create a new slot for expensive baubles—‘white shirt jewellery’—designed to elevate the basic workday shirt and take it from casual to luxe. Such a clever idea! It is a focused 46-piece collection that celebrates individuality.
The launch was low key, like Masaba herself, with her celebrated mother showing up wearing Masaba’s striking fish neckpiece. Those who have watched the mother-daughter duo in the popular Masaba Masaba, fiction-meets-reality series on Netflix, already know a lot about their personal dynamics. They share a very special rapport, given the background to Masaba’s arrival in the world. Today, Masaba is a mother herself, to a three-month-old Matara, and, of course, there is a ‘Mother to Matara’ label in the works! I had hoped to meet Matara’s father and Masaba’s husband, Satyadeep Mishra, at the event, but he was on daddy duty, babysitting their newborn.
There’s so much more to the Masaba story that remains to be further explored. As a hard-working, hard-nosed businesswoman, Masaba oversees 10 stores across India, with ambitious expansion plans.
Masaba Gupta | Amey Mansabdar
With Masaba’s bold entry into the competitive but highly lucrative make-up segment (51 per cent of her brand being owned by Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd), we are going to see the creation of a mini-empire, driven by one woman’s belief in herself and all that her brand represents. She calls herself a “serial collaborator’’, having accomplished successful partnerships with brands like Nykaa Samsung, Titan Raga and more.
Masaba’s foray into make-up comes with a terrific narrative. Her foundations, lip colours and glosses are specifically created to go with our beautiful skin tones. This is such a boon, given that imported products have never managed to get our palettes, which go from rich nutty brown to golden copper.
I tried Masaba’s lip colours, and voila I don’t need to look beyond! Her simple philosophy is to “mix, match and make it personal”. The charming thing about Masaba is how completely herself she has always been, despite the challenges she faced growing up with her specific background and personal appearance that set her apart from other children at school. Today, she can look back and candidly talk about the racial jibes she had to deal with. The imaginative and insightful conversion of attributes that could have kept her down have been converted into distinct advantages that distinguish her brand from the clutter places her in a league of her own.
The mixed heritage that once tormented her is today a badge she flashes with pride. ‘Matara’, the unusual name the couple picked for their daughter, embodies the divine energies of nine Hindu Goddesses, celebrating their strength and wisdom. “Motherhood is oddly rewarding,” says Masaba, as she juggles her hectic career as a fashion entrepreneur with a newborn’s exhausting demands. “Motherhood is tiring, but it gives you a sense of accomplishment,” she says.
When I leave the intimate launch at her eponymous store, I see Masaba giggling with her business partner Tarang Arora of Amrapali. Masaba says, “I see jewellery as a big part of the brand’s future.” She is flying high, creatively and personally. Here’s a suggestion—what about a new, irreverent line called ‘Gold Digger’ for our socialites?
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