Whenever we have chatted with Rahul Mishra in the past couple of years, the couturier has spoken about his longing to live in and design from the laps of the Himalayan hills. Nature has been an infinite source of solace and inspiration for Rahul who is the first Indian designer to show at Paris Haute Couture Week and has shown at Paris Fashion Week over 13 seasons, starting 2015. For the digital showcase at Paris Haute Couture Week in January, he retreated into his ‘garden of dreams’ soaked in the philosophy of ‘dolce far niente’. “It means ‘pleasant idleness’. The power of doing nothing is great. You are only in the present. So, this is a part of the collection,” Rahul had told us. On Tuesday evening as we waited for the FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week opening show in partnership with the Embassy of Italy, being held on its beautiful lawns, to begin, ‘dolce far niente’ was the exact state of mind. After their first phygital edition in 2021, this was the first time that FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week is being held in a fully physical format, in New Delhi. And, it was being in the present that everyone seemed to be making the most of. Not a crease of worry furrowed the brows. One could sit in that garden all night long, with a glass of wine, swaying to the soulful music.
The red carpet was rolled out as the guests raised toasts, just like old times. The cool spring breeze added to the feeling of freedom. The ambience was drunk on romance. Rahul’s ‘garden of dreams’ came alive on the gardens of the Embassy on Chandragupta Marg. The lights dimmed around 10pm and just like that his mythical and surreal garden jumped out of our screens, in front of our eyes.
The designer added a few more pieces to his Paris collection. “In Enchanted, there were 16-18 garments that I presented for Haute Couture Week. This gave me a chance to complete the collection in a fully diversified way. One of the landscapes, which can be the Himalayan landscape or the Tuscany landscape… how it looks on a jacket, a lehnga or a bundi or a gown or a skirt top. It is about creating that piece of art on any possible body type,” he later told The Telegraph.
Spotted were saris and lehngas, all in the new Rahul Mishra bridal language. What is his bridal language going forward? “For me, this is something that is more driven by the bride herself. I love the modern personality and I love the way the brides co-create pieces with us. A lot of the pieces here are also inspired by their choices… what they make us do sometimes and the result is beautiful. It is all about collaborations…..” he told us.
The show came to a close to the live rendition of Aaj jane ki zidd na karo. And, no one was in a rush to leave. The clinking of glasses reiterating mankind’s resilience for joie de vivre, no matter what. Just like for Rahul’s karigars for whom their joie de vivre translates into exquisite craftsmanship. It’s only fair you see them up close.
“In the last two-and-half years, we didn’t do any show. It was only digital… these clothes are beautifully worked upon by amazing artisans… what I showcased here is 99 per cent their work. You have to touch and feel them,” said Rahul, amidst congratulatory messages.
Let the show begin.
Pictures: Sandip Das
Glimpses from Rahul Mishra’s The Enchanted Garden
