Of potential and possibilities
Rahul M ishra – ‘Fashion will have to slow down and be more responsible’.
DESIGNER Rahul Mis hra, whos e Autumn/ Winter 2017-18 collection was s hown at the recent Paris Fas hion Week, s poke on his lates t creations and ins pirations for the s eas on.
How would you describe this FW 17-18 collection?
This collection is called “Infinity”, and it explores the infinite possibilities of human talent and the infinite potential of human hands , with their ability to produce work that is limit less. It takes inspiration from Impressionists as well as Pointillist artists; we tried to achieve a similar outcome using just a needle and thread–something that hasn' t been done before.
What are its main inspirations?
Right after our Spring/ Summer 2017 s how in O ctober, I went to the Pompidou mus eum. It was White Night in Paris , s o Igot to go to the entire exhibition that was on dis - play.... Iwas overwhelmed, everybody’s work was s o ins piring! Iwas looking at different eras of work and how two artis ts have worked on s imilar ideologies . For example, Cubis m – looking at Picas s o and his contemporaries , the outcomes were really amazing. It reminded me of the way we work in fashion, we might be working with an identical volume creation or a similar silhouette, and yet there ali sat ions are so diverse; this is what creates endless possibilities with the human brain.
Who did you design this collection for? What facet of a woman's life?
When I create a dress I think of a strong, intelligent woman who knows what s he wants from life. She believes in sustainability, in change and in people. She is very cultured and well informed, her choices are her own and s he is aware of them. Her fashion choices are governed by her sense of style and she has an eye for detail. This the woman I envision while creating a dress .
What kind of personality could embody your collection?
is In this collection the garments have been treated like a canvas for paintings , every piece has got a very strong and individualistic feel. It’s not out and out happy, of course there is a touch of happiness, but there is alsoa sense of mystery that these garments em body. We also made the collection look very street, it’s couture but at the same time there are a lot of wearable options , there is a heaviness of embroidery but the ultimate feel is quite light and fun.
From socially or politically conscious to fun to connected – how do you see fashion evolving in the coming years?
I think in the future, fashion is going to evolve in away where the importance isn’ t only going to be given to what people are consuming, instead people are going to be concerned about how their clothes are being made. In the last century the fashion industry has been one of the biggest contributors to climate change, people are already asking questions–they want to know how their clothes are being created – how much livelihood it's supporting, what are the ethical practices involved. Fashion is definitely going to s low down, it has to be more res pons ible. – AFP Relaxnews