Rahul Mishra is not one to take the easy route. From ideas to execution, it’s all about complexity—he doesn’t do simple. This time the question he asked himself was: how can I translate the concept of aura into a dress? He clearly relishes a good challenge.
His (rather dense) rumination started from a reflection on the spirituality of Hinduism. Lord Brahma, explained Mishra backstage, is the god from whose energy the whole universe emanates, “akin to an aura that embodies and surrounds him.” Each individual is perceived to have a sort of electromagnetic field; living bodies function “as an intersection within the gossamer plane of energy that is the aura.”
To translate that complex (to say the least) concept visually into actual pieces of clothing (a daunting task even for the most gifted designer) the considerable skills of Mishra’s Indian artisans were put to the test. To mimic the aura’s imperceivable quality, they crafted outfits whose silhouettes were outlined by illusionistic effusions of ruching and pleating of tulle or chiffon, or by concentric undulating flows of 3D embroidery in a variety of beads and crystals, sometimes augmented by metal structures protruding from the dress. They were rendered in dégradé shades from white to many hues of gray; yet the collection was predominantly black, alluding “to the mystery of the unknown,” said Mishra, who further indulged his flair for the theatrical gesture in some surrealistic pieces featuring the profile of multiple heads symbolizing the aura of Hindu gods.
Among the aural effusions of abundant ruching, lavishings of sparkles and displays of hyper-embroidery, a few pieces conveyed a more restrained appeal, like an embellished flame-red draped chiffon number with a swirling train, a heavily sequined catsuit, and a classic masculine pantsuit, embroidered in colorful florals. They made for a refreshing pause to the collection’s visual complexity.
