The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2025 - Issue 38

bitecatwalk Aarti Vijay Gupta A t London Fashion Week, Aarti Vijay Gupta’s ‘Kalighat Stories’ unfolded as a strikingly modern yet deeply rooted celebration of cultural storytelling. Drawing inspiration from Bengal’s vivid artistic traditions, particularly the Kalighat and Patua painting styles, the collection reima- gined these forms through the lens of luxury fashion, with a mindful emphasis on sustainability. The show balanced boldness with restraint, weaving together past and present. Gupta’s garments became living canvases, adorned with hand-drawn motifs that carried echoes of folk- lore. These decorative prints narrated tales of gods, people, everyday life, myth, and politics, each piece resembling a page from a manuscript brought to life in silk and sharply layered silhouettes. The collection’s power lay in its ability to honour heritage while embracing the contemporary. Tailored for a global au- dience, the silhouettes featured wide-legged pleated trousers, fluid dresses cinched at the waist, and long overcoats with sculptural shoulders. Gender-fluid designs blurred the bound- aries of menswear and womenswear, reinforcing the idea that storytelling transcends categories. Gupta also partnered with Liva Reviva, incorporating fabrics made from recycled textiles. This eco-conscious collaboration added depth to the narrative, proving that fashion’s visual poetry can and must be sustainable. Just as Kalighat art was once painted on reused scrolls and discarded paper, these garments were crafted from renewed resources, grounding the collection in a poetic cycle of rebirth. Colour spoke as vividly in deep saffron, burnt umber, turquoise, charcoal, and moss green, animating the runway, sometimes clashing, sometimes harmonising, always inten- tional. Its intensity echoed the drama of the art styles while ensuring each look commanded attention from afar. The in- tensity of the hues echoed the style’s dramatic themes, making the pieces arresting from a distance. Across 35 ensembles, the dialogue between past and present unfolded: some pieces carried illustrative imagery, others leaned toward abstraction with painterly textures and quiet gestures. The atmosphere felt more like an installation than a conventional runway. Lighting and sound created a contem- plative mood, while models moved with purpose rather than spectacle, inviting the audience into an intimate, reflective space. With ‘Kalighat Stories’, Gupta achieved what many textile artists aspire to: a seamless fusion of cultural preservation, sustainable innovation, and visual poetry. The collection invited audiences to engage with India’s layered history and consider its resonance in today’s global society. https://aartivijaygupta.com I mage provided by Des Richards FASHION WEEK LONDON Autumn/Winter 2025