FASHIONING AN ECOSYSTEM

While craft exploration is a constant at the atelier, Rahul Mishra aims to realign the definite purpose of couture from consumption to participation.

- SHIVPRIYA BAJPAI

The last two years have been of prodigious success for designer and couturier Rahul Mishra. From the commendatory Haute Couture outings at every Paris Fashion Week edition resulting in global acclaims, to creative collaborations, and being the brand of choice for A-listers, Mishra is clearly in the spotlight for all the right reasons. Those who have closely followed his growth, will vouch for the designer's craft-centered and community-driven philosophies, that more often than not transcend into his way of life. Mishra is busy, yet takes time out to meet me at his Noida atelier days ahead of his store launch in Hyderabad.

I find him content yet excited. He shows me a quote from a 2014 article and chuckles, where the journalist describes Mishra as "the poster boy of handloom..." The progression from handloom back in the day to his signature surface embellishments-the designer has indeed come a long way. His latest Indian festive couture collection, Nargis, is a testament to Mishra's intimate bond with nature and its various experiences. The way he observes nature and interprets its intervention in our curated spaces is poetic, to say the least. Take for instance, Nargis articulates visuals from the window of a home, overlooking the abundance of flora and fauna. He translates visuals like a pride of peacocks frolicking in a Mughal garden, fiery red pomegranate flowers turning to ripe fruit or a bouquet of peonies into wearable art with traditional hand-embroidery techniques like aari thread-work, bugle beads, kundan, various kinds of rhinestone, crystals, glass beads, freshwater pearls, sequins, and nakshi pita work, to name a few.