AURA – Rahul Mishra Couture Fall 2024.
AURA – Rahul Mishra Couture Fall 2024; Collection Note
The Hindu god Brahma, also known as Trikaldarshi meaning the seer of all time—the past, present and future—is the creator of the entire cosmos. In mythology, he is represented with four heads, so as to contemplate all directions at once.
And ‘Brahmand’, transliterating (from Sanskrit) to ‘Brahma’s offspring’ is the universe, a multi dimensional plane consisting of all time, space and its contents that emerge from Brahma’s imagination, like a subjective reality or a creation of the mind. It is perceived that the entirety of matter in the universe, the extent of which is beyond human comprehension, is nothing but energy that is emanated from Brahma’s being,
akin to an AURA that embodies and surrounds him.
Rahul Mishra’s Couture Fall 2024 collection, ‘Aura’ attempts to comprehend the various characteristic of this energy and its flow within the universe. Each individual is perceived to have an aura which represents their electromagnetic field—like that of the earth—and their emitted vibrations that connect them to the rest of the universe. A living body upon its emergence, functions as an anomaly or an intersection within this gossamer, omnipresent plane of energy that is the aura, which continues to persist before and after its presence.
In the complexity of the subject, I have plunged into the depth of my curiosity to find multiple viewpoints that comprehend the ‘in-perceivable’. The more we tried to seek knowledge, the more lost we found ourselves.
Predominantly black and greyscale, the collection represents depth and mystery associated with aura as it appears to be emanated from the silhouette. As one stares into an infinite black sky, are they observing nothingness or abundance of the unknown. As per the theory, a jiva living being is a combination of three factors—body, mind and soul and all that together amounts to aura.
The collection becomes an attempt to articulate through couture clothing, how the said omnipresent aura may interact with a living body. And how the living body becomes a vessel for a part of this energy, and draws its greatness from it. Many instances in the Hindu mythology articulate godly figures with specifically phenomenal bodies and multiple heads to symbolise their overall aura, strength and individual characteristics. Bhagwad Gita, the ancient Indian scripture, describes in the below quote, the soul as an everlasting, intangible, indestructible constant within the universe that moves across time and astral dimensions.
नैनं िछन्दिन्त शस्त्रािण नैनं दहित पावकः। न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयित मारुतः॥
A soul can not be cut by a weapon, nor can it be burned by fire, Neither moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.
(Bhagwad Gita; Chapter 2, Verse 23)
The surfaces are realised with a variety of embellishments including rhinestones, sequins, glass beads and intricate thread embroidery. While some silhouettes are defined by the organic flow of fabric, others are created with metal structures formed in our atelier in collaboration with our local welding staff. While new exploration is a constant at the atelier, this collection continues to feature some of our quintessential hand embroidery techniques that are ancient and native to the Indian sub-continent. The brand now directly and indirectly supports a sum of over 2000 fashion workers that includes embroidery artisans, weavers, tailors amongst others.
Each piece at Rahul Mishra Couture is made in India, for the world.
JEWELLERY PARTNER – MORA
Our couture collection, will be graced by an exquisite jewellery line from our partners at Mora, making its grand debut at Paris Fashion Week. Mora’s meticulously crafted, limited-selection pieces will serve as the perfect embellishments, infusing our creations with an aura of enchantment and elegance. Like the perfect harmony of nature, these jewels breathe life into our vision, elevating each piece to a transcendent level of sophistication and splendour.
ABOUT RAHUL MISHRA
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 1200 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.”
