Rahul Mishra
Born7 November 1979 (1979-11-07) (age 44)
Malhausi, Kanpur, India
EducationKanpur University , U P
National Institute of Design
Istituto Marangoni
OccupationFashion designer
Awards2014 International Woolmark Prize
Websitewww.rahulmishra.in

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]

In 2008, he was awarded the MTV Youth Icon of the Year by MTV India.[4]

Early life and background

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]

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.

-Business Standard, 2014 [2]

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.

— Suzy Menkes, Vogue.co.uk #SuzyPFW[13]

References

  1. ^ "Rahul Mishra will be the first Indian designer to showcase haute couture at Paris Fashion Week in 2020". 24 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e Aggarwal, Asmita (22 February 2014). "From a village in Kanpur to the catwalks of Milan: Rahul Mishra". Business Standard India. Business Standard. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  3. ^ a b Turra, Alessandra (21 February 2014). "Rahul Mishra Nabs Woolmark Prize". WWD. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  4. ^ Ipshita Sharma (15 January 2009). "Catch the MTV Youth Icons". Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  5. ^ a b Jasodhara Banerjee; Benu Joshi Routh (24 March 2015). "Rahul Mishra, the craftsman". Forbes India Magazine. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "Aiming to make wool all-weather fabric: Rahul Mishra". The Times of India. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Indian designer Rahul Mishra wins top Milan Fashion Week prize". The Economic Times. 21 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  8. ^ Parizaad Khan (9 August 2008). "Rahul Mishra: Fashion designer". Livemint. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  9. ^ "The Good Life". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  10. ^ a b "Rahul Mishra: Surface tension". Livemint. 20 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  11. ^ "Rent Dresses by Rahul mishra". Rent The Runway. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  12. ^ Georgina Safe (22 February 2014). "Fashion 'it girl' Alexa Chung praises International Woolmark Prize winner Rahul Mishra". Sydey Morning Herlad. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  13. ^ Menkes, Suzy. "#SuzyPFW Empowering Handwork: Alexander McQueen And Rahul Mishra". British Vogue. Retrieved 13 November 2016.

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