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The Dawn of timeless chic
Rahul Mishra is not just a label
Rahul Mishra is not just a label. It is a lexicon. A belief system. An emotion. A force of nature in itself. Having followed RM’s work since his Istituto Marangoni days in Milan, it’s heartwarming to see how’s stayed true to his soul and his metier. Of late, while most of the fashion world is responding to the horrors inflicted by Covid-19 by hitting the reset button, Mr Mishra has been penning an encyclopedia on sustainable luxury since the label’s inception. Syncing the strict codes of the rarefied haute couture with his unshakable vision - he’s extrapolated the power of his soul-searing embroideries to root for poetry, freedom and a bit of whimsy.
Often his embroidery techniques entail more than 3,400 hours of handwork. Yet each piece is light as a feather. Fluid, nimble and almost evoking a sense of freewheeling weightlessness.
If his last outing titled Butterfly People dwelled on the travails of migratory existence, RM’s Spring Couture 21 showcase called The Dawn is a commentary on the destruction of our planet caused by human species, who tend to succumb to their weakness.
Clearly, it stems from the thinking Rahul did during the trying period of lockdown.
Shot against the gorgeous backdrop of a marble dump-yard situated in Rajasthan, the visually sumptuous collection echoed a surreal recovery of colour in a world which has been thoughtlessly deprived of its natural resources through years of piling marble dust.
Rahul’s models - the metaphors of Mother Nature gleam in the crisp sunlight as they cut majestic silhouettes in exotic mushrooms separately hand tacked over the shine-on tree-bark-texture hand embroidered on tulle and silk organza. Rahul quoted botanist, Nicholas P. Money in the show notes, “Mushrooms are master- pieces of natural engineering, the most wondrous inventions in evolutionary history.’
Rahul has always focused on the dynamic aspect of his silhouettes - how the pieces fall on the body of the wearer and how they move. So it wasn’t surprising to note that the mushroom forms were individually engineered through a unique pattern making process assisted by novel hand embroidery techniques, in order to pull off a realistic fall and movement.
The show opened with a floor-length gown styled with a matching mask - depicting a dance of his signature embroidery and textruring which caused a delightful frisson as it gleamed against the transparent layers.
Following this, were a litany of Rahul’s signature maxi dresses, tailored tunics teamed with sequined pants and voluminous gowns with dramatic trains that unfurled against the impressionist sky.
The high point was a cocoon-like bubble mini dress which came to life with multi-hued, concentric circles of delectable millefeuille.
In a couture season which has oscillated between comfort-oriented, day time dressing (seen at Julie De Libran and Valentino) to revenge dressing (showcased at Azzaro and Giambattista Valli), Rahul’s collection struck a delicate balance reconciling wearability with avant-garde designs.
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