With fragrance of rain, chirping of birds and floral bloom spread across the collection, fashion designer Rahul Mishra opened his "Monsoon Diaries" on the third day of India Couture Week 2016-17.
The Paris runway regular reinterpreted bridal couture through his line inspired by German biologist and artist Ernst Haeckel's work "Kunstforemen der Natur".
"I come from a small village of Uttar Pradesh and for me monsoon has always been one the most beautiful time of the year. In this couture collection I wanted to involve all the beautiful elements of the rain and create something which can be worn easily and feels light," Rahul told reporters after the show.
Despite being a bridal range, what made the collection stand out was the colour palette that smoothly escaped using reds and maroons. Starting from navy blue, the range travelled through hues of white, beige, peach, pink, pearl and black.
"It was an intentional call to avoid the traditional bridal couture pattern. I wanted to create something that is for the modern day Indian bride. However, I kept elements from rest hand technique and artworks alive," the designer said.
Rahul's collection was 100 per cent handcrafted and the woolmark prize winner believes that is the real essence of a haute couture range.
More than 250 artisans worked for around four months to create the completely handwoven collection.
The designer, who will presenting his collection in Paris Fashion Week in October, said the exposure he got while working alongside the biggest names of fashion industry has helped him in experimenting with the conventional Indian couture trends.
Created for the special days in a woman's life, "Monsoon Diaries" saw extensive use of traditional Indian fabrics like khadi, chanderi, organza, silk, chiffon, gerogette and Maheshwari.
The silhouettes were sharp and Rahul's trademark cutwork was seen throughout in patterns like lotus, humming birds and other flora and fauna.
