Rahul Mishra Presents Its New Couture Fall 2022 Collection: Tree Of Life

“Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, trembling of a leaf.”

Albert Schweitzer

Growing up in India, we witness numerous instances of worshipping trees. This inherent part of our culture manifests in different ways during the harvest festivals spread in regions across our subcontinent. My grandmother would tie a hand spun cotton thread around a banyan tree, not far from our house. The memory of this routine, of the ladies of the house worshipping the tree to bless their families, is a precious one. The great Banyan tree is a god like presence through our lives, witnessing our journey from childhood to adulthood just as it did with generations of our ancestors. It is the visual of this very tree — where numerous mornings of seasons of the earth have passed —that flashed before my eyes each time I sat to sketch this collection.

A tree’s memories and life are engrained in the rings of its trunk; as it grows from within towards the bark. Impressions on the ground, the storms that it weathers, the warm sunsets and cold rains—all unforgotten - and constantly preserved in its consciousness. The elders in Africa would hold meetings around the ancient Baobab tree with the belief that the tree would lend its wisdom to those seeking clarity for making important decisions. A tree that lasts centuries and witnesses evolution of the human race and mother earth as it changes its course - even the splitting of seven continents - it’s fruit is bound to be priceless.

Basking in the golden sun, ’The Tree of Life' is a manifestation of nature’s abundance. It’s an attempt to celebrate its opulence and beauty. This collection renders our gratitude for nature’s wisdom. Under the glorious setting sun, how every leaf transmutes to gold, with glimmering drops of dew—a pinnacle of life.

In this collection, two and three dimensional embroideries articulate the first flush of nature emerging on the surface of a body, and life that grows from it. Intricately embellished artworks articulate scenes from dense forests with ancient architectural remains and vegetation in modern day silhouettes. A fresh application for the brand, metallics add another dimension to our brand’s signature hand craft. True to the values of ‘Haute Couture’, pieces feature fabrics that are handwoven in remote locations in India, embroidered with hand for over 10,000 human hours and sewn to perfection for clothing that is featherweight despite its convoluted surfaces.

A contemporary application using multitude of traditional surface embellishment techniques from the Indian subcontinent, this collection is a manifestation of artistic memory. It endeavours to cultivate a circular economy for craft communities in India. The core aim of the collection continues to focus on grass root empowerment and provide encouragement to the artisans make the clothes. We seek to not just fuel further consumption but cater to the existing demand of a mindful customer.

In the words of Nelson Henderson, “ The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”

EYEWEAR PARTNER - WWW.LENSKART.COM

Our "The Tree of Life" collection celebrates opulence with a strong palette of gold and black and focusses on high precision craftsmanship and construction. Lenskart celebrates both these qualities with their wonderful eye wear. It has revolutionized and disrupted the eye wear market in India and gained a commendable footprint in global landscape. They indeed make a great partner for a collaboration.

Sasha Chhetri, AVP, Marketing at Lenskart said, “We’re building Lenskart as the ultimate fashion destination for eyewear and are passionate about introducing design-led concepts and innovation that can deliver breakthrough products and experiences. Our collaboration with Rahul is strategized with this unified vision — to be a one-of brand that bridges the world of eyewear, expression, and lifestyle.”

JEWELLERY PARTNER - WWW.HERSTORYJEWELS.COM

“This collaboration is a natural fit for Her Story, given that Rahul Mishra is not only a brand that we personally love but also one that seamlessly marries traditional Indian craftsmanship with modern conceptual design,” says Falguni S Kapadia – Brand Head, Marketing & Strategy, Her Story. “Its global yet rooted approach reflects our vision as a brand that is inspired by the perspectives of modern Indian women. We are excited to bring these stories to life at Paris Haute Couture Week."

“Our collaboration with Her Story for Couture Fall 2022 showcased in Paris comes together rrather effortlessly given their impeccable craftsmanship and refined sense of design. I am particularly impressed with how functional and easy are the jewels in their eventual expression of design which carries a strong appeal for the Rahul Mishra woman. It's a special moment of celebration, of being rooted in India with a contemporary global outlook.” —Rahul Mishra

STYLING BY ELISA NALIN
HAIR DELPHINE COURTEILLE W/ B AGENCY
MAKE UP JANE RICHARDSON W/ GARY REPRESENTS
MAKE UP SPONSOR NARS
CASTING DIRECTOR MAUD COSIALS
PHOTOGRAPHY NOWFASHION
VIDEO & LIVESTREAM FRANCE ENTERTAINMENT
PRODUCTION NAPOLEON EVENTS

RAHUL MISHRA – ABOUT

Rahul Mishra, the first Indian designer to showcase at the Paris Haute Couture Week champions slow fashion with traditional Indian crafts. His eponymous label with two flagship stores in India
and a thriving national and international distribution channel finds its genesis in the ideas of sustainability that present fashion as a tool to create participation and empower the local craft community of India.

The brand’s purpose defines the process. The achingly slowed down process of hand-weaving and hand embroidery allows to build sustainable livelihoods for more than 1000 artisans. Fashion critic and former International Fashion Editor of Vogue, Suzy Menkes, an avid follower of the brand’s work, regards Rahul as a “national treasure” while the late Franca Sozzani has praised him as “successfully highlighting the best and most peculiar features of his homeland.” The design house that works on the philosophy of the 3 E’s - Environment, Employment, and Empowerment, aims to look at luxury from the lens of participation and not just consumption.

www.rahulmishra.in