Review | Collection
Day 2 at Indian Couture Week had Rahul Mishra’s Autumn Winter 2015 collection. Overall, the collection was a gradual progression from the designer’s Spring Summer 2015 collection at Paris Fashion Week. Aptly named ‘Tree of Life’, the pieces had an abundance of back to the basics, nature-inspired hand-embroidery with floral, leaf, bird and peacock feather motifs. In words of Rahul Mishra, “The intricate hand-embroidery is an outcome of the concerted effort toward reverse migration of craftsmen back to their villages from urban dwellings – leading to a newstep in producing slow fashion.”
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Other than the embroidered motifs, the most striking part was the interesting use of collars. Mishra’s silhouettes encompassed the aforementioned mix of ethnic Indian and western pieces – flared anarkali skirts and tunics with trousers, jackets. Then there were the tasteful knee and ankle-length dresses, rib-baring blouses and asymmetric skirts. Perhaps the most experimental were collared jackets paired with sarees, in almost a kimono-like silhouette. The fabrics constituted sheer organza and satin silk.
The color-palette ranged from champagne, limestone, fuchsia and deep purple, with lots of white, black and gold. The makeup was minimal – with glossy highlighted looks, pink lips and gold eye shadow. The most disagreeable part perhaps was the hair – straight back-combed but flat and impassive.
Is the modern multitasking woman that Mishra takes his inspiration from not sporting bouncy, exuberant hair? But then again, the modern multitasking woman may think hand-embroidery is a tad fragile and high-maintenance for her lifestyle. I sure do.
Shilpa Ahuja the editor-in-chief of ShilpaAhuja.com, which she founded with the goal of inspiring confidence in the modern working woman through fashion. Other than defining the direction of the magazine, she also writes about fashion & beauty trend forecasts, industry analysis, and opinions.
Shilpa’s work has been published in the University of Fashion blog and Jet Airways magazine. She is also an artist, illustrator and cartoonist. She is also the creator of Audrey O., a comic series that represents the lifestyle of millennial women. She enjoys creative writing and world travel. Her art has been exhibited at Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Aroma Hotel, Chandigarh and been published in Chandigarh Times.
Originally from Chandigarh, Shilpa also has a degree in architecture and has worked in interior project management. She is also the author of the book “Designing a Chinese Cultural Center in India”. Shilpa has a Masters in Design Studies degree from Harvard University.
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