FASHION

Rahul Mishra’s latest couture collection is an exaggeration of the human body

By Saloni Dhruv

04 July, 2022

Fashion designer Rahul Mishra talks about digitalisation in fashion, buying land in Uttarakhand and, of course, his Paris Couture Week collection

Rahul Mishra has had a busy few days leading up to his couture show in Paris. But the fashion designer is not new to the chaos that comes with Haute Couture Week.

Mishra made his debut at the coveted couture week in Paris—carefully safeguarded by Paris's Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) with an exclusive selection of luxury houses including Chanel, Christian Dior, Zuhair Murad, Schiaparelli and Alexandre Vauthier to name a few—in 2020, right before COVID-19 hit the world. Prior to this he has showcased his RTW collections at Paris Fashion Week for over a decade. Two years and a digital couture show later, the designer is back in the French capital for a presentation he calls a “magical experience”.

In between the casting calls and fittings, The Established spoke to Mishra—who was in Paris—about his inspiration for this collection, his love for nature and plans for the future.

fashion

Rahul Mishra's 16th international showcase features handcrafted embroidery details 

You’ll be returning to Paris Couture Week after 2020 for an in-person presentation of your collection. How are you feeling about having an in-person presentation after the digitalisation of fashion shows that happened during the pandemic?

When we had our show in January 2020, we didn’t think that it would take us almost two and half years to return here. It will be my 16th international showcase and it’s very exciting. I’ve missed the backstage chaos, the energy that the models bring during casting, the reactions and feedback when they wear the pieces you’ve created. I’m surrounded with people who are honest and are free to like or dislike anything from the collection. Digitally, you can alter the images but when it comes to in-person shows, it’s only the clothes that matter. And, of course, the locations for which you get to travel as well.

The designer revealed that the first garment of the collection took about two months to make

The designer finds endless inspiration in nature and the biodiversity of Uttarakhand

What is your inspiration behind this couture collection?

I wanted to experiment and go beyond the boundaries of how the human body looks by exaggerating at certain places that I wanted to give strength or where I thought making something is going to look far more extraordinary. One way I approached this was through the use of embroidery and how it moved and fell in a certain way. But instead of doing it three-dimensionally—which I have in my previous collections—this time, I wanted to create something new within a similar space and wondered how double three-dimensional would look. So the pattern itself became far more bigger to exaggerate the human form. It took us a lot of time and experimentation. The first garment itself took almost two months to get right. It’s a difficult collection, requiring multiple attempts because we set out to create something unique and new, which takes time.

When you reflect on the last few years, showing the collection virtually, what are the lessons you've learnt?

I think digitalisation, in a way, led to giving far more strength to the runway shows. Before the pandemic, everyone had this thought of why do we need physical shows? A lot of brands even stopped showcasing at fashion weeks and only introduced their collection digitally, more often via Instagram. But then the pandemic hit and suddenly the value of physical shows became stronger in this whole ecosystem, because the feeling that you have while watching an actual runway show is magical. The thought process that goes into it is different from when showing it virtually. But digital transformations of the shows during the pandemic were also necessary. That’s why, for this couture show, we set up a parallel live stream, which obviously needs its own infrastructure and has its own processes.

“SINCE I MAKE COMMERCIAL OUTFITS FOR COUTURE WEEK IN INDIA, I CAN EXPERIMENT MORE AT COUTURE WEEK IN PARIS. IT WORKS BOTH WAYS FOR ME.”
Rahul Mishra

How is couture week in Paris different from couture week in New Delhi for you?

It’s not comparable because couture week in Paris is about experimentation and not commerce. What you showcase at the Paris Couture Week is about art and new ideas and the process behind it. While for the couture week in New Delhi, I try to create a balance between art and commerce. Both are equally important. Since I make commercial outfits for couture week in India, I can experiment more at couture week in Paris. It works both ways for me.

"Instead of doing it three-dimensionally—which I have in my previous collections—this time, I wanted to create something new within a similar space and wondered how double three-dimensional would look," says Rahul Mishra

You are a champion of slow fashion and couture is all about one-of-a-kind pieces, the opposite of mass consumption. What does couture mean in this modern world?

Couture existed way before the idea of sustainability and slow fashion even came about. The commercialisation of couture occurred with ready-to-wear collections in the 1950s and ’60s. But clothing that is artistically created, that is handmade and produced at a slower pace—the art of dressmaking as one would call it—has always existed. When photographs came into existence, people said that hand-painted art was going to die. In fact, art now has become even more valuable. Similarly, the value of couture is appreciating now . There are numerous ready-to-wear shows across the world, season-after-season, from Lakmé Fashion Week in India to Tokyo Fashion Week in Japan, but there’s only one couture week in the world. So yes, there is still value in couture and a privilege to be a part of it. For me, couture is a pure form of expression, almost like an art and science studio where I get to experiment and produce new things.

How do you try and bring a little bit of India to Paris Couture Week?

I don’t think that just doing embroidery or making it in India is typically unique, because even brands like Dior and Chanel get their embroidery done in India. Simply having a ‘made in India’ tag is not enough because every brand has got their craftsmanship deeply rooted in India. Personally, I feel like a proud Indian when I represent the country. Even at couture week, there is always going to be ‘Indian designer’ or ‘from India’ that will be my name.

According to Rahul Mishra, simply having a ‘made in India’ tag is not enough

Like art and science, couture is a pure form of expression for Rahul Mishra

You recently purchased land in Uttarakhand. How has being close to biodiversity affected your design process?

There’s a beautiful quote by writer Albert Schweitzer that goes like, “Never say there’s nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There’s always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf.” I want to get deeper into nature because it’s endlessly inspiring, even if it is something as simple as a leaf sprouting or foliage growing out of place.

What’s next in store for you?

We are currently working on the next show, which is [FDCI India] couture week beginning on 23rd July. I’m also creating a new ready-to-wear brand with Reliance. Our retail strategy is going to come into play as we plan to increase our retail footprint tenfold by 2030.

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