Rahul Mishra (born 7 November 1979) is an Indian

fashion designer Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashi ...

based in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders wi ...

. He is the first Indian designer to be invited to showcase at the Haute Couture Week in Paris. He won the International Woolmark Prize in 2014 at

Milan Fashion Week Milan Fashion Week ( it, Settimana della moda) is a clothing trade show held semi-annually in Milan, Italy. The autumn/winter event is held in February/March of each year, and the spring/summer event is held in September/October of each year. It ...

, becoming the first Indian designer to win the award. The winning collection was sold in stores around the world. In 2008, he was awarded the MTV Youth Icon of the Year by MTV India.

Early and background

Mishra grew up in Malhausi, a sleepy village 53 miles off

Kanpur Kanpur or Cawnpore ( /kɑːnˈpʊər/ pronunciation ( help· info)) is an industrial city in the central-western part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Founded in 1207, Kanpur became one of the most important commercial and military station ...

. He spent his childhood with his grandparents, listening to an array of stories- religious, historical, moral, of balance and humanity. He did his graduate degree in physics from Kanpur University (now known as Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University). This was followed by post graduation in apparel design from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, where he won the Best Student Designer Of The Year in 2005. In 2009, he became the first non-European designer to win a scholarship at Istituto Marangoni, Milan, Italy. His wife Divya, also an NID graduate in apparel design, works with him.

Career

He made his debut in 2006 at

Lakme Fashion Week Lakmé Fashion Week is a bi-annual fashion week which takes place in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Its ''Summer-Resort'' show takes place in April while the ''Winter-Festive'' show takes place in August. History The event first took place in 1 ...

with a collection using cotton handloom textiles 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 A Banarasi sari is a sari made in Varanasi, an ancient city which is also called Benares (Banaras). The saris are among the finest saris in India and are known for their gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. The sa ...

fabric of the other side woven by traditional craftmen. Mishra has showcased his work at fashion weeks in London, Dubai, Australia and is regular on the official calendar of Paris Fashion Week. He has also become known for incorporating traditional Indian textiles, and handmade artisanship to his work. He is the only Indian designer to be chosen by Rent the Runway, online rental boutique. In 2013, he won the Indian leg of the International Woolmark Prize, thus going on to represent India and the Middle East at the 2014 International Woolmark Prize Competition in Milan. The five contenders included Christopher Esber representing Australia, Sibling for Europe, ffiXXed for Asia and Joseph Altuzarra for the Americas. Mishra's award-winning capsule range, "The Lotus Effect" was based on the hexagon shapes and Lotus motifs. The collection incorporated Chanderi fabric woven with 85% Merino wool with woollen zardozi embroidery by craftsmen in Kolkata. The collection was influenced by the monochromatic work of Dutch graphic artist Maurits Cornelis Escher. In February 2014, Rahul Mishra won the 2014 Woolmark Prize at

. The award carries an AUS $100,000 prize and was previously won by designers

Karl Lagerfield Karl Otto Lagerfeld (; 10 September 1933 – 19 February 2019) was a German fashion designer, creative director, artist and photographer. He was known as the creative director of the French fashion house Chanel, a position held from 1983 u ...

Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer. He first gained notoriety working for Cerruti and then for many others, including Allegri, Bagutta and Hilton. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expand ...

and Yves Saint Laurent, Mishra was the only Indian to have won the award.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mishra, Rahul Indian male fashion designers 1979 births Living people Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University alumni National Institute of Design alumni Artists from Allahabad