Rahul Mishra

Rahul Mishra (born November 7, 1979) is an Indian fashion designer based in Mumbai and Delhi, who won the 2014 International Woolmark Prize at Milan Fashion Week. He is first Indian designer to win the award.[1] The 2014 "collection he designed for the competition will be sold" in stores around the world.[2]

In 2008, he was awarded the MTV Youth Icon of the Year by MTV India.[3]

Early and background

Mishra is from Malhausi, a small village 80 km from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh,[1][4] where he grew up along with his parents and his two sisters.[5] At the age of 10, he went to a boarding school Maharishi Vidya Mandir in Lucknow.[5] He did his graduation in physics from Kanpur University (now known as Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University). This was followed by post graduation from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, 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, a fashion school at Milan, Italy.[7][8]

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 the Lakme Fashion Week with a collection using cotton handloom 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]

Over the years, he has showcased his work at fashion weeks in London, Dubai and Australia, beside Indian 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.[1][11]

In 2013, he won the Indian leg of the International Woolmark Prize, thus he went on to represent India and the Middle East at the 2014 Woolmark Prize, and one of one of five finalists for the prize, which includes Christopher Esber from Australia, Sibling for Europe, ffiXXed from Asia and Joseph Altuzarra for the U.S. His award-winning capsule range, "The Lotus Effect" and was based on the hexagon shapes and used Lotus motifs. It used Chanderi fabric woven with 85% Merino wool with woolen zardozi embroidery by craftsmen of Kolkata.[10] The collection was influenced by monochromatic work of Dutch-graphic artist Maurits Cornelis Escher.[1] In February 2014, he won the 2014 Woolmark Prize at the Milan Fashion Week.[2][12] The award carries an AUS $100,000 prize (over Rs. 5.4 million) and was previously won by designers like Karl Lagerfield and Giorgio Armani, and Mishra was the only Indian to have won the award.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Aggarwal, Asmita (February 22, 2014). "From a village in Kanpur to the catwalks of Milan: Rahul Mishra". Business Standard. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Turra, Alessandra (21 February 2014). "Rahul Mishra Nabs Woolmark Prize". WWD. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  3. ↑ Ipshita Sharma (2009-01-15). "Catch the MTV Youth Icons". Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  4. ↑ "Change We Can". Deccan Herald. January 18, 2009. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Craft of Success: Designer Rahul Mishra on his journey from Kanpur to Milan". The Indian Express. March 16, 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Aiming to make wool all-weather fabric: Rahul Mishra". The Times of India. Feb 15, 2014. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Indian designer Rahul Mishra wins top Milan Fashion Week prize". The Economic Times. 21 Feb 2014. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  8. ↑ Parizaad Khan (Aug 9, 2008). "Rahul Mishra: Fashion designer". Livemint. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  9. ↑ "The Good Life". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Rahul Mishra: Surface tension". Livemint. February 20, 2014. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  11. ↑ "Rent Dresses by Rahul mishra". Rent The Runway. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  12. ↑ Georgina Safe (February 22, 2014). "Fashion 'it girl' Alexa Chung praises International Woolmark Prize winner Rahul Mishra". Sydey Morning Herlad. Retrieved 2014-02-22.

External links