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Good fashion comes from designers who can fuse two contradictory ideas to create a synthesis that has not occurred to anyone. That was the order of experiment taken on by Rahul Mishra.
Rahul's signature is his textile background and 'The Baroque Tree' was inspired by the rich textiles and elaborate embroideries of our nation. At his stall prior to his showing he had mentioned that he was aiming to make something new with "architecture and embellishment.. sharpness and ornamentalism." While bringing traditional Indian textiles to the forefront.. he expressed a flair for the "baroque rock star" look that delivered a jolt of surprise. The show condensed the label's past and present with chintz-inspired hand-embroidered organic khadi jackets.. dori-embellished dresses influenced from the Jaali themes of Islamic architecture.. long gowns with hand embroidery and slick tailored jackets crafted from fine merino wool and double weave jacquards. It made for a collection more sensuous than sexy—and more youthful in feel than his recent efforts.
If this sounds complicated there's still more compressed into this brisk show—controlled detailing in the yokes, shoulders and sleeves.. fusing unlikely textiles to create homogeny through opacity and transparency.. sheen blending with matte and durable materials blending with soft ones—that made for a brilliant take on this season's woman. PS There was something incredibly refined in his choices of sleeves that rolled up smoothly reminiscent of caterpillar movement. As fragile as it might seem it's a look to build on and one that Rahul Mishra (should he scrutinize this collection objectively.. might feel rather happy to behold). Shutting my computer I'm left with a feeling that this designer's rise has been meteoric—thanks in part to his creativity and willingness to push the design envelope with traditional fabrics. Yes the garments are living up to his outsized reputation.
— JASMEEN DUGAL
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