The runway on the Paris Haute Couture Week opening day was buzzing with bees, moths and reptiles – the inspiration behind renowned Indian designer Rahul Mishra’s newest collection.
Models, including Bollywood star Ananya Pandey, strutted down the runway adorned in pieces from his ‘Superheroes’ collection with intricately embroidered insects on them.
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A model with a large black circle (think Petri dish) on the front of a black dress opened the show. The piece featured a giant embroidered firefly. Another one of the looks, worn by Ananya, featured multi-coloured moths, most of which are endangered. Her show-stopping look was paired with a sleek bun, gold jewellery, and black heels.
Taking to her Instagram Stories, the 25-year-old shared snippets from the show and her trip to Paris with the caption: “Walking for @rahulmishra_7 at Paris Couture week.”
As a nod to not only the theme but also his Indian background, dresses, and jackets from the collection featured a lattice pattern, often seen in windows in India – where these insects live. Effortlessly blending avant-garde flair with a strong message, Mishra chose motifs of beady-eyed lizards poking out these crisscross patterns to bring the pieces to life.
Speaking on the theme of environmental conservation showcased during the show, Mishra posted on Instagram: “It’s disheartening to envision a future where a magnificent creature like the ‘Dragonfly’ is first discovered by a young child in their school’s biology lab as a specimen in a petri dish.”
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Those who are fans of Mishra’s work appreciate his attention to detail and his ability to incorporate traditional craftsmanship into his work and he was not going to forget the people who worked to bring his visions to reality.
The designer shared the painstaking work that went behind to create the pieces. He shared a video which detailed every step of the process – from the drawing board to each sequin, and bead being sewn onto the clothes, to ultimately resemble a glistening, oil-slick-hued snake.
Earlier, Mishra had been teasing the collection on his Instagram, one insect post at a time.
