Rahul Mishra adds another feather to his cap

(life) Indian designer Rahul Mishra will a 'Guest Member on the Haute couture Calendar, announced The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.

The Committee of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture has decided that Mishra will be the first Indian to present his collection at the Paris Haute Couture Week in January 2020. The fashion event features iconic houses such as Chanel, Dior, Elie Saab, Giambattista Valli, Givenchy and Maison Margiela amongst others.

Mishra will join the ranks of guest members such as Iris Van Herpen, Georges Hobeika and Zuhair Murad.

life caught up with the designer to be part of the celebrations and find out what more details.

Exceprts:

You are a regular name at the Paris showcases, how does it feel to be the first Indian designer to be selected as a guest member at the Haute Couture calendar?

Mishra: It is an immense honour for our brand to have been invited to showcase at the Haute Couture Week in Paris which is the most prestigious platform for fashion in the world. I feel elated and extremely humbled to have come across this opportunity and am looking forward to showcase my best effort at mixing fashion, art and poetry. Along with the creative freedom, the opportunity gives me a chance to take ahead, the numerous crafts and hard work of artisans from across my country to a larger audience. It is a combined effort of our hearts, minds and hands to do justice to the responsibility that the event entails. That also brings-in great excitement and nervousness to us considering the intimacy with which the collection is being worked upon.

Do you feel Indian fashion has a long time to go before it evolves to meet the standards of Haute Couture?

Mishra: In my understanding, 'Couture' stands for clothing that is unaffected by the idea of trends and demands of the mass market, as each piece is created especially for an individual personality and must embody them. Haute Couture is an amalgamation of tradition and innovation that must surface as a global voice and not a region-specific voice. Having said that, I'd like to mention that most of the global brands such as Chanel, Alexander McQueen or Valentino are known to work with Indian artisans for the production of their fabrics or embroideries and that is a clear symbol that India holds the skill set that is required to qualify the standards of Haute Couture. It is primarily about the personal design sensibilities and a target consumer that a design house might be aiming to cater for which makes a difference which is more of a personal choice.

What is your takeaway from the selection, and does it push you to be even more ambitious?

Mishra: The news of our selection to showcase at the Haute Couture Week has brought to us, a moment of pride and a sense of responsibility considering the stance of the platform and the fact that we're the first from our country to have received this honor. This only motivates us to create better work in future and see bigger dreams while constantly challenging our abilities and creative expression. I have a dream of being able to employ one million artisans one day and a recognition like this makes me feel closer to realizing that ambition.

The Indian fashion industry has seen a lot of the big names take a hit in recent times, is that due to market dynamics, lack of creativity or the new age client's utilitarian attitude?

Mishra: As for our brand, it is a constant aim to create pieces of clothing that are classics and would remain in someone's wardrobe for a long time. The kind of a product that we make is often independent of fashion trends while being a mere articulation of our artistic vision. The amount of value that we are able to add to our product and the consumer experience is what has helped us only grow exponentially each year. I also strong believe in and promote a utilitarian attitude for the consumer as that is a sustainable practice and promotes a mindful use of resources. In fashion retail, I'd like to say that the value and the experience of a consumer helps a brand sustain in the toughest of times and any brand should consider this point in their agenda.

Top trends for 2020 from your collection?

Mishra: Our collection primarily showcases an intuitive application with inspiration mainly coming from my recent travel experiences. There's a play of foliage and references from various forms of nature articulated in our signature three-dimensional embroidery. There will also be a play of layers and a burst of colours.

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( With inputs from IANS )