Once reduced to a ‘star kid’ tag, she is quietly building two brands now approaching the 200 crore mark

For years she worked on a vision that combined bold design with a personal narrative. At a time when most would have stepped back after setbacks she pressed forward rebuilding and reinventing. The transformation she engineered has culminated in a portfolio of fashion and beauty brands now valued collectively at more than Rs 200 crore.

That person is Masaba Gupta. Once primarily known as a “star kid” born to actress Neena Gupta and West Indies cricket legend Vivian Richards, she has reshaped public perception not through tabloid moments but through business ingenuity. Today she is recognised as the founder of two major brands: House of Masaba, a distinctive fashion house, and LoveChild, a fast-growing beauty label.

House of Masaba

Once defined by tabloid chatter as a star child, she is now the founder of the acclaimed fashion house House of Masaba and the beauty line LoveChild. Masaba’s journey has not been straightforward.

She launched House of Masaba in 2009. The label quickly drew attention for its bold prints and inventive Indo-Western designs, setting it apart in a crowded fashion landscape and earning a loyal following. But in 2020, just as she was preparing for her first round of funding, the pandemic struck. Stores closed, sales fell and investors warned that the fashion label might not survive the year. Speaking on Serving It Up with Sania, she recalled how her runway was estimated to last only a few months and how difficult it was to keep doors open.

There were moments of deep uncertainty. She once shared that she had only a small balance in her bank account and had to make tough decisions including shutting multiple stores and negotiating rent with landlords. Investors told her to consider wrapping up the business before the financial pressures mounted.

The turning point

A turning point came when a major streaming platform approached her with a proposal for a show based on her life, Masaba Masaba. After its release, her sales saw an immediate uptick and helped stabilise the fashion business at a time when she had feared its collapse.

Lovechild brand

In 2022 she launched LoveChild, a beauty brand that draws from her own life story. On the brand website she explained that the term “love child” had been part of her identity since birth and that she wanted to reclaim it in a way that challenges norms and simplifies beauty for all.

In less than three years LoveChild reported annual revenue of Rs 116 crore and ranked among the top beauty brands in its segment with 201 employees as of August this year. The brand also attracted strategic investment from Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Ltd which acquired a majority stake to help scale operations further. Masaba’s story can be seen as a lesson in resilience and reinvention at a time when homegrown brands are redefining consumer expectations.