He is calm, simple and subtle, and so are his collections. A regular participant at the Lakme Fashion Week, Rahul Mishra has received several iconic awards and accolades at a young age. He showcased his very first ‘Kerala Collection’ at Lakme when he was just completing his studies. The promising fashion designer has already been involved in numerous projects during his study in Milan.
Throughout his presentation at various fashion weeks, including the Rosemount Australia, he has been well-acclaimed for revolutionary and innovative designs.
“I have been among the first persons to use Indian khadi extensively,” says Rahul while introducing the range of reversible and seamless garments from his bouquet. He has successfully created original blends in his apparel using both Banarasi handloom and other hand-woven fabrics. Moreover, his garments are lightweight, which makes them easy to wear and carry. His debut at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) Spring/Summer 2010 features his collection ‘Threads of Freedom’.
“It has been borrowed from Gandhian and khadi philosophy,” says Rahul describing yet another distinct and stylish collection. The speciality of the fabric is that all the hand-spun yarn of organic cotton has been made by women weavers. To specially look forward to among his designs are the organzas and flip-flops — here, raised seams through extra panels with contrasting colours, which on flipping give a different look.
The dresses are immaculate and sober. “I believe that the garments should enhance the personality of the wearer,” adds the designer smiling. Rahul will be showcasing at WIFW this Saturday.
Speaking about his inspiration in being radical and using traditional craft, he says, “Internationally, I have been impressed by the way Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake brought Japanese tradition to the global market.”
This time, Rahul is all prepared with 40 looks, out of which he is planning to showcase around 30. What’s interesting is, there is no special emphasis on any show-stopper. “I believe that in a show it’s the collection which is prominent and to be emphasised upon,” he explains.
Apart from elegant fashion, he associates himself with various hobbies, from photography to animation, sketching to graphics and cricket to farming. He even teaches at the National Institute of Design, his alma-mater, and takes up workshops at ATDC, Thiruvananthapuram.
