Rahul Mishra (born 7 November 1979) is an Indian fashion designer based in Delhi. He is the first Indian designer to be invited to showcase at the Haute Couture Week in Paris.[1] He won the International Woolmark Prize in 2014 at Milan Fashion Week, becoming the first Indian designer to win the award.[2] The winning collection was sold in stores around the world.[3]
Mishra grew up in Malhausi, a sleepy village 53 miles off Kanpur. He spent his childhood with his grandparents, listening to an array of stories- religious, historical, moral, of balance and humanity. He did his graduate degree in physics from Kanpur University (now known as Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University). This was followed by post graduation in apparel design from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad,[5] where he won the Best Student Designer Of The Year in 2005.[6][7]
Rahul Mishra's award-winning collection at the International Woolmark Prize in Milan, 2014
In 2009, he became the first non-European designer to win a scholarship at Istituto Marangoni, Milan, Italy.[7][8]
His wife Divya, also an NID graduate in apparel design, works with him.[5]
Career
There is this quote by Mahatma Gandhi that I particularly love, "Recall the face of the poorest you have ever seen - and ask yourself if your contemplating will be of any use to them". I live by this. You must do the best you can.
He made his debut in 2006 at Lakme Fashion Week with a collection using cotton handloom textiles from Kerala, especially off-white fabric with golden border of Kerala mundu. In 2009, he made reversible dresses, employing Kerala mundu on one side, with Banarasi fabric of the other side woven by traditional craftmen.[6][9]
Mishra has showcased his work at fashion weeks in London, Dubai, Australia and is regular on the official calendar of Paris Fashion Week. He has also become known for incorporating traditional Indian textiles, and handmade artisanship to his work.[6][10] He is the only Indian designer to be chosen by Rent the Runway, online rental boutique.[2][11]
In 2013, he won the Indian leg of the International Woolmark Prize, thus going on to represent India and the Middle East at the 2014 International Woolmark Prize Competition in Milan. The five contenders included Christopher Esber representing Australia, Sibling for Europe, ffiXXed for Asia and Joseph Altuzarra for the Americas. Mishra's award-winning capsule range, "The Lotus Effect" was based on the hexagon shapes and Lotus motifs. The collection incorporated Chanderi fabric woven with 85% Merino wool with woollen zardozi embroidery by craftsmen in Kolkata.[10] The collection was influenced by the monochromatic work of Dutch graphic artist Maurits Cornelis Escher.[2] In February 2014, Rahul Mishra won the 2014 Woolmark Prize at Milan Fashion Week.[3][12] The award carries an AUS $100,000 prize and was previously won by designers Karl Lagerfield, Giorgio Armani and Yves Saint Laurent, Mishra was the only Indian to have won the award.[2]
India should regard Rahul Mishra, the winner of the 2014 International Woolmark Prize, as a national treasure.
American actress and singer, Zendaya in custom Rahul Mishra Couture at the launch of NMACC, Mumbai
In 2013, Rahul Mishra co-founded an eponymous label with his wife, establishing three flagship stores in India and a thriving national and international distribution channel. His body of work encompasses vivid textile exploration and draws inspiration from art, nature, and architecture.
His Indian fashion label is renowned for its expertise in handcraft and sustainability, presenting fashion as a tool to foster participation and empower India's local craft community.
AFEW Rahul Mishra's launch presentation at Palais de Tokyo, Paris in 2023
In September of last year, designer Rahul Mishra announced a visionary collaboration for a new global luxury label, AFEW Rahul Mishra, with Reliance Brands Limited (RBL). The inaugural easy-to-wear collection was presented at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, garnering attention from global retailers, fashion press, and celebrities.
Rahul Mishra’s fashion label operates on the philosophy of the 3 E’s: Environment, Employment, and Empowerment. It aims to redefine luxury through the lens of participation rather than mere consumption. Mishra’s purpose defines his process, which centres around the achingly slowed-down techniques of hand-weaving and hand embroidery. This deliberate approach not only fosters sustainable livelihoods for over 1000 artisans but also embodies the principles of sustainability, presenting fashion as a means to engage and uplift India’s local craft community.
Mishra champions the idea that “Luxury is not consumption, luxury is participation.” His label prioritises mindful luxury, utilising slow processes to encourage involvement from craft communities across rural India. With the philosophy of “ASAP” (As Slow As Possible), Mishra emphasises the importance of a deliberate, slow approach to craftsmanship. He is also recognised for pioneering 'reverse migration', urging artisans living in urban slums to return to their villages, where they receive urban-level wages to bolster rural economies. Through these initiatives, Mishra’s fashion label provides employment opportunities and empowerment to the next generation of embroiderers and weavers in the country.
Indian actress, Ananya Panday for Rahul Mishra's collection 'Superheroes' collection at Paris Haute Couture Week 2024
Mishra’s 2024 Spring/Summer collection, titled "Superheroes," presented in Paris, sheds light on the intricacies of coexisting with reptiles and insects in our shared environment—an area of passionate interest for Mishra.
His couture pieces are revered for their modern structural forms, built atop sturdy yet lightweight base forms achieved through innovative pattern making. The quintessential hand-embroidery of the atelier is complemented by zari embroidery, ek taar ka kaam, baadla, glass beads, and rhinestones, resulting in motifs that evoke a sense of ‘biomimicry’ in his pieces.
Manish Arora is an Indian fashion designer based in New Delhi. In early 2011, he was appointed creative director of the womenswear collection of the French fashion house Paco Rabanne, although he left the company in May 2012.
Sophie Theallet is a French fashion designer whose clients include First Lady Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, Oprah Winfrey, and Gabrielle Union,
Angelica Cheung is a Chinese fashion journalist and the founding editor-in-chief of Vogue China, launching its first issue in 2005. Previously editorial director of Elle China and editor-in-chief of Marie Claire Hong Kong, she has played an integral role in the development of China's fashion industry within and beyond her duties as a magazine editor. Cheung left her position as editor-in-chief of Vogue China after 16 years in December 2020.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee is an Indian fashion designer, jewelry designer, retailer and couturier from Kolkata, India. Since 1999, he has sold designer merchandise using the label Sabyasachi. Mukherjee is one of the Associate Designer Members of Fashion Design Council of India and the youngest board member of the National Museum of Indian Cinema. He has designed costumes for Bollywood films such as Guzaarish, Baabul, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Raavan, and English Vinglish.
Bruno Pieters is a Belgian fashion designer based in Antwerp. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp graduating with a BA in Fashion Design in 1999. Pieters is highly regarded for his avant-garde creations and sharp tailoring. He worked with renowned designers including Martin Margiela, Josephus Thimister and Christian Lacroix to develop his talent. After a two-year break, he introduced his comeback label Honest By Bruno Pieters in 2012.
Bibhu Mohapatra is a New York-based fashion designer and costume designer.
Anamika Khanna is an Indian fashion designer who operates from her studio situated in Kolkata. She has been covered by the Business of Fashion (BOF) for being the Indian designer who has blended traditional Indian textiles and techniques with Western silhouette and tailoring. She is the first Indian designer to have an International label: "Ana mika". Her creations are sold online and offline stores across India and abroad. Before entering the fashion industry, Anamika was a classical dancer and painter.
Rajesh Pratap Singh is a noted fashion designer from India, based in New Delhi.
India is a country with an ancient clothing design tradition, yet an emerging fashion industry. Though a handful of designers existed prior to the 1980s, the late 1980s and the 1990s saw a spurt of growth. This was the result of increasing exposure to global fashion and the economic boom the economic liberalization of the Indian economy in 1990. The following decades firmly established fashion as an industry across India.
Troy Costa is an Indian fashion designer based in Mumbai who owns the Troy Costa menswear label. Known as the man who suits up India's rich and powerful, Troy launched his bespoke menswear fashion label 'Troy Costa Designs' in 2008 after the runaway success of his shows at the 'Dubai Fashion Week' and the 'Lakme Fashion Week'. His signature style of sharp lines and understated chic has propelled him to become couturier to some of the best-known names in India such as film stars Hrithik Roshan, Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan Pataudi and in 2014 he was hired to design a new look for Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi
Christopher Bevans is an American fashion designer and creative director. He was born in Brooklyn, New York City and went on to work in the fashion industry like his grandmother. Bevans has won awards from organizations such as Woolmark.
Dion Lee is an American-Australian fashion designer. His eponymous brand was established in 2009.
Barkha Sharma is an Indian fashion designer, classical dancer, author, and co-founder of the men's clothing label Barkha 'n' Sonzal. In 2014, she was nominated to represent India in the International Woolmark Prize in the menswear category. Barkha, under the label Rhydhun, also designs handicrafts. She is a trained dancer and tanpura player who was invited to perform with her husband Rahul Sharma for Prince William and Kate Middleton at the Hyderabad House, in the presence of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in April 2016. Barkha is the author of “Global Little Yogis,” a book about making yoga and wellness a regular part of one's routine.
Ronald van der Kemp is a Dutch fashion designer and founder of demi-couture fashion house RVDK Ronald van der Kemp, his namesake label.
Cedric Jacquemyn is a Belgian fashion designer and alumnus of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. His style is focused on craftsmanship and said to be "darkly romantic". Cedric Jacquemyn has a conceptual approach, his collections are influenced by history and politics. His work is distinguished by skill and craftsmanship. He experiments with different materials, such as horse leather and copper.
FYODOR GOLAN is a fashion brand based in London. It was founded in 2011 by British designers Fyodor Podgorny and Golan Frydman. The duo is known for their colourful advanced-contemporary ready-to-wear designs.
Peet Dullaert is a Dutch fashion designer, couturier and entrepreneur based in Paris, France. He is the founder of the eponymous brand, Peet Dullaert, which he founded in 2012. Dullaert was awarded with the Frans Molenaar-prijs in 2012 and was nominated for the 2016 International Woolmark Prize for his contribution in the fashion industry.
Thebetsile "Thebe" Magugu is a South African fashion designer. Born in Kimberley and based in Johannesburg, he rose to prominence as the winner of the 2019 LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize, and a finalist in the 2021 International Woolmark Prize. Magugu has released eleven solo collections under his own namesake label since 2017, as well as several capsules in collaboration with international brands such as Dior, Adidas, and AZ Factory.
Gaurav Gupta is an avant-garde Indian couturier. Gupta's work has been featured in events such Paris Haute Couture Week. His work is characterized by his origami style sculptural style patterns with pleating and lifting. Gupta is known to use traditional Indian embroidery techniques like zardozi, nakshi and dabka and borrow abstract patterns from nature. He holds the distinction of being the third Indian designer, following Rahul Mishra and Vaishali S, to present at the couture week.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
