Leading Indian fashion designer Rahul Mishra recently collaborated with Singapore Tourism Board (STB) for a curated couture collection. He describes himself as a “naturalist” who tries to “create a universe which is intangible inducing elements of nature into garments.”
Namrata Kohli in an exclusive conversation with Rahul Mishra
What is the design aesthetic that, in your own words, you represent?
In one word, I am a naturalist. It’s not about the flower, it’s not about cosmos, which I create on clothes. It’s all of the feeling and poetry behind it, which is far more powerful. I try to capture the air where these flowers are to be found, the cloud which drives on the air, the water where the fish is found. These elements of air, fire, earth, water, these elements are very difficult to capture through clothes. I try to imbue those feelings into the clothes which is how they become so full of life and energy.
In India, a wedding is a big milestone for couples-to-be, and from the location down to the attire, everything needs to be extra special. You recently collaborated with Singapore Tourism Board for a wedding collection. Please tell us about your collection
I was travelling to Singapore, and my Spring Summer 2024 Wedding Capsule Collection, borrows from my own personal experiences in the island city. When you think of Singapore, Japanese feel it’s more like a fish city. All the aquatic elements in the garment have been inspired by the fish. But the Chinese feel it’s a lion city. My silhouettes are fragile yet strong, like Merlion, where a mermaid meets a lion and it has the strength of a lion and the elegance of fish. I was also inspired from the older part of the city which has colonial buildings with fresco work in vivid colours, reminiscent of the Indian textile legacy.
Normally weddings are the time when people are willing to spend time, effort, energy on building a unique collection. What is your advice to people on how to choose a fashion designer for their wedding? And what does it cost to own a Rahul Mishra outfit in today’s time?
You should invest in something which is unique yet classic. I recently created a wedding dress (lehnga) for a Dutch bride who was getting married to an Indian boy as well as for a Japanese bride (gown) and both are getting their dresses framed. They both knew what they’re investing into today is going to be worth a lot more in the future, much like the cost of land which goes up by 20-25% every year.
Our pret collection starts at Rs 25,000- Rs 30,000. The number of pieces here may be in hundreds. But couture is one of a kind, and will cost a few lakhs.
How is bespoke tailoring different from regular one? What are the distinguishing features in terms of the outcome or the end product that a customer can expect?
Bespoke is nothing but something that’s just created for you. But when you buy fast fashion, millions of clothes are created of the same kind. The artisans don’t work on that garment, rather it’s the operators. Like machines create a cup, machines create a collar… On other hand, when you think of bespoke, it’s one particular fabric which is taken for you, dyed for you, and hand embroidered as per your requirements. And at the same time, no two pieces will be the same. It’s almost like when you’re signing on a piece of paper, nobody in the world can ever match their same signature again.