Fashion

Avante-garde arm candy

Puneet Gupta’s new collection of handmade clutches, ‘Whispers of Versailles,’ is a labour of love and precision

Bindu Gopal Rao

Whispers of Versailles is more than a bag collection—it is a love letter to handcrafted beauty. Every piece is meant to be a whimsical heirloom, blending couture storytelling with artisan skill. The process begins with an original concept sketch inspired by fairy-tale silhouettes and Rococo architecture.

“We sculpt the form using a sturdy MDF base and layer it with silk. The heart of the process is the hand embroidery; our artisans meticulously hand-place thousands of beads over 150-200 hours to create immersive textures, shading, and dimension. Every element, from sugar-frosting details to castle turrets, is achieved with fine bead embroidery that brings fantasy to life,” explains founder Puneet Gupta.

Made using a curated mix of materials, including premium silks, MDF wood, glass beads, metallic threads, sequins, and hand-dyed embellishments, each component is selected keeping in mind how it helps tell the story, from the glint of a sugar bead to the softness of a velvet rose. Even the chains and hardware are customised. The beads, Gupta acknowledges, are their paintbrush. “They evoke everything from whipped frosting and shimmering fairy dust to the rich opulence of Versailles,” he smiles. Take your pick!

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