Rahul Mishra's The Ferryman's Tale at Paris Fashion Week

08 Oct '14

3 min read

The Indian fashion designer Rahul Mishra made his Paris Fashion Week debut with a boatman’s journey inspired exquisite Merino wool fibre made collection titled The Ferryman’s Tale.

Showcased on the final day of the nine-day event, the Spring/Summer 2015 range, which highlighted the versatility of the lightweight trans-seasonal wool, is primarily aimed at bridging the gap between artisans of the east and retailers of the west through a celebration of Indian craftsmanship and design.

While speaking about the Parisian show, the designer says, “I am like a storyteller in a little boat who travels to different places. In the small villages of India I have met craftspeople and makers and now I have sailed to Paris to tell their stories in a new light.”

Replete with traditional Japanese stencil art and the three centuries old Chintz textile techniques, the line showcased intricate hand embroidered floral and geometric patterns on a palette of ivory, gold, black and yellow tones.

The highlights of the collection include a cobweb-like hexagonal shape incorporated gossamer cape, some dresses with delicate vine embroidered demure-necklines, hand-stitched blossoms adorned sleek pencil skirts, structured blouses and intricately crafted pieces with silk organza and superfine Merino patterns.

Every garment in the sophisticated yet sensual collection was focused on empowering the Indian craft community by showcasing sustainable design and India’s rich heritage of traditional techniques.

“When I look at my country and see so much unemployment, I want to use fashion as a tool to empower my people. What creates the strength is when multiple hands come together to create beauty,” states the designer.

Hailing from India, the designer has experienced a stratospheric rise since winning the International Woolmark Prize (IWP) in 2014. His award-winning collection of hand embroidery on lightweight Merino wool is now being sold in some of the world’s most prestigious fashion stores, including London’s Harvey Nichols, Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, Milan’s 10 Corso Como, mytheresa.com and Joyce in Hong Kong.

In the leading Paris boutique Colette, Mishra’s IWP collection sold out within a matter of weeks after being displayed in the windows.

“We had an amazing reception after winning the International Woolmark Prize, but this is just the beginning for us. Our ultimate aim is to create a product not just for consumption, but to design a system for maximum participation for the villagers and the artisans, in order to sustain their livelihood,” says the designer. (PB)

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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