For his couture collection, Rahul Mishra drew inspiration from “The Pale Blue Dot,” a book by American astronomer Carl Sagan, who reflected on Earth’s insignificance when seen from Voyager 1—it looked like a tiny speck in the vast cosmos. “We are small, fragile, and not in control,” Mishra shared backstage. The recent loss of his father deepened this perspective, adding a poignant layer to his reflections. “Sometimes, profound personal sorrow or grief give rise to love and hope, reminding us to cherish the healing power of Mother Nature,” he said.
Based in Delhi, Mishra recently witnessed the city’s severe air pollution crisis firsthand, prompting him to also reflect on the delicate nature of urban ecosystems, susceptible to decay and decline. His dense, ruminating narration took shape in flamboyant, occasionally costumey creations. The opening look, modeled by Coco Rocha, featured a sweeping dark cape intricately sequined in 3D with an urban skyline of jutting skyscrapers—a testament to the craftsmanship of the designer’s skilled atelier. This architectural motif recurred throughout, appearing on the wing-like cape of a bodysuit, the hourglass skirt of an evening gown, and even as a fan-like structure erupting from a strapless dress.
“From there, birds arrived to clean up the city’s debris,” Mishra explained in a somewhat cryptic manner. These feathered creatures, apparently depicted in their act of clearing, were rendered with rather disquieting 3D verisimilitude as though fluttering around a black sequined bodysuit. Following this, came a series of creations adorned with variously arranged circular mirrors, reminiscent of car reflectors—to be honest, their exact meaning remained rather elusive to this reviewer. The show culminated in a finale of richly embellished golden dresses, hinting at Mother Nature’s power of rebirth. As a symbol of its female force of regeneration, a uterus—its fallopian tubes morphing into curling branches—was embroidered on one dress bodice. Oscar season is approaching—who will be the celebrity to embrace a dress with such a descriptively explicit message? We’ll wait and see.
