Paris Couture Week, Fashion transcends fabric and transforms into philosophy, bore witness to the profound vision of Rahul Mishra. A designer whose creations have become an unmissable spectacle over the past decade, Mishra once again enchanted his audience with a collection that was not just an aesthetic triumph but an elegy to a world on the brink of transformation.
As the doors opened, the stage was impacted by the enigmatic Coco Rocha, draped in a sweeping black cape adorned with intricate architectural embroideries. With each movement, the buildings on the cape seemed to breathe, shift, and whisper their tales—a poignant metaphor for our cities, rising and crumbling in an unrelenting cycle of creation and decay. The collection was a delicate yet striking balance of mourning and rebirth, a meditation on both personal and planetary loss, woven into every thread.
Mishra, still mourning the recent passing of his father, infused this collection with an introspective depth that resonated beyond the seams. His grief mirrored the sorrow of a planet gasping under the weight of environmental neglect, yet within that sorrow, a spark of resurrection emerged. The collection spoke of endings, but also of new beginnings—of nature reclaiming its place amidst the ruins of human ambition, of the phoenix rising from the ashes of our own making.
The garments were dreamlike tapestries of embroidered flora and fauna, weaving together a narrative of Earth’s resilience. Towering structures melted into sprawling landscapes, golden birds emerged from layers of silk, their wings extending like promises of hope. The final pieces glowed with gold, as if kissed by the first light of a new dawn—an artistic whisper that even in destruction, life finds a way to bloom again.
Mishra’s signature craftsmanship, painstakingly created by over 2,000 artisans, echoed the philosophy of ‘slow fashion’—a rebellion against the relentless speed of consumption that erodes both nature and tradition. Every stitch, every bead, every delicate motif stood as a testament to his unwavering belief that true couture is not just an exhibition of opulence, but an instrument of storytelling, a medium to reflect upon the world we inhabit.
The audience, an eclectic mix of celebrities, political figures, and cultural icons, sat spellbound, their collective gaze fixed on the poetic unraveling of Mishra’s vision. His work, much like Carl Sagan’s reflection on the ‘Pale Blue Dot,’ invited us to reconsider our place in the vastness of existence—not as conquerors, but as custodians of an ephemeral world.
In an era where the planet teeters on the precipice of irreversible change, Rahul Mishra’s collection was not merely fashion; it was an act of defiance, an ode to resilience, and a hopeful invocation for renewal. For in death, there is always rebirth; and in every ending, the delicate promise of a new beginning.
ABOUT RAHUL MISHRA - Rahul Mishra, the first Indian designer to be invited to showcase at the Paris Haute Couture Week was also the winner of International Woolmark Prize in 2014. He was conferred the insignia of 'Chevalier de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in November 2023. His work as a designer finds its genesis in the ideas of sustainability that present fashion as a tool to create participation and empower the local craft community of India. With both, his eponymous couture label and the pret-a-porter brand AFEW Rahul Mishra, he aims to look at luxury from the lens of participation and not just consumption. Fashion critic and former International Fashion Editor of Vogue, Suzy Menkes, an avid follower of the brand's work, regards Rahul as a “national treasure” while the late Franca Sozzani has praised him as “successfully highlighting the best and most peculiar features of his homeland.” With six retail stores in India and a thriving national and international distribution channel, his work finds its emergence in the ideas of ‘mindful luxury’ that present fashion as a tool to create participation and empower the local craft community of India. The brand’s purpose defines the process. The achingly slowed down process of hand-weaving and hand embroidery allows to build sustainable-livelihoods for more than 1500 artisans.
SHOW CREDITS STYLING
STYLIST: MICHAEL PHILOUZECREATIVE CONSULTANT: ELANUR ERDOGANMASTER TAILOR: SHIRLEE IDZAKOVICHTAILOR: MACY IDZAKOVICH
CASTING DIRECTOR BRICE COMPAGNON MAKE UP JANE RICHARDSON HAIR DELPHINE COURTEILLE HAIR SPONSOR GHD HAIR HAIR SPONSOR REVLON PROFESSIONAL FRANCE NAILS AURÉLIE LEBIHAN NAILS SPONSOR MANICURIST PHOTOGRAPHY VALERIO MEZZANOTTI / NOW FASHION SET DESIGN & PRODUCTION OBO PRESS KARLA OTTO
Comments