SUBLIME INTERVENTION

Ahead of Paris Couture Week, Rahul Mishra explains to Tatler how heritage, craft, employment and sustainability are a designer's responsibility

- Aaina Bhargava

Rahul Mishra considers himself to be a persuasive storyteller, seeing his words as having a similar effect to a religious leader's sermon. "If I get goosebumps looking at a flower, everyone else better get goosebumps too after I finish describing its beauty," the New Delhi-based designer says of inspiring his team. "If I cry, they too have to cry with me."

Mishra sees his work as more than a job: he believes he has a duty to convey beauty, translate its inspiration, and ultimately share his vision. "It's what I do and I'm fully hands-on about it. "If I can successfully convince those who haven't seen its beauty [that it's beautiful]," the designer says, referring to that same flower, "then they'll feel inspired and contribute better. And everybody-from the craftsmen to the office boy contributes and gives feedback."

Tatler spoke to the designer by video call at his home in New Delhi after a hugely successful Paris Couture Week in January, where he debuted his spring-summer 2023 collection, Cosmos. A busy few months dressing celebrities for major events followed, and when we spoke, he was about to start work on his fall-winter 2023 couture collection.

In 2020, Mishra became the first Indian designer to show at Paris Couture Week. His couture collections since then have wowed both fashion insiders and the general public; in particular his fall 2022 collection, Tree of Life, and the recent Cosmos. He doesn't take these opportunities for granted and does everything in his power to make the most of the time he has to mesmerise his audiences. "When you showcase something for ten minutes, those are your ten minutes, and you want people to forget about everything, appreciate what you do, and get lost in your work." He likens the experience of viewing a fashion show at Paris Couture Week to "worshipping at the temple of couture"; he frequently makes similar spiritual allusions in describing his creative approach.