Designer Rahul Mishra opens first flagship store in Hyderabad

Inside Rahul MIshra’s store in Hyderabad

Designer Rahul Mishra’s first store in Hyderabad is a reflection of his artistic vision. In a hat tip to the city, the 5000 square feet store has a metal ceiling featuring ripples of water inspired by the Hussain Sagar lake , and rocks resembling the Deccan terrain at several places inside the Banjara Hills store. The store’s facade incorporates Rahul Mishra’s signature trompe l’oeil technique, which creates optical illusions that trick the eye of the viewer.

If a store can be this stunning with so many natural design elements, one would wonder what would his home be like. Rahul Mishra shares with a laugh, “My dream home is currently getting built at Ranikhet and I am looking forward to its completion. This home will give my family a breathtaking view of snow-capped mountains on one side, and an infinity view of the mountains on the other. We will be living amid Nature.” 

Lisa Ray showcasing Nargis
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Special Arrangements

Rahul’s primary sources of inspiration are Nature, his surroundings, and people, which is evident in his designs. For instance, elements like a decorative metal ladybug brooch on the straps of a leaf-inspired dress or a trail of a dress in the Nargis collection that resembles a real peacock feather, but in gold. So unique is his style and design nuance that a plain white shirt needs just are a few silver dragonflies to steal one’s heart. 

“AFEW — an acronym for air, fire, earth, water — also happens to be the collection that I have brought to the store in Hyderabad. AFEW is a collection of effortless, easy-to-wear luxury tailored to the modern woman’s wardrobe. AFEW comes with a lot of meaning: a few natural elements, a few elements of art and landscapes. Most primarily AFEW also initiates the thought that ‘I do with a few of the clothing from AFEW for all occasions’. AFEW looks at an ordinary t-shirt or a bomber jacket, a shirt or even a skirt with a design element from a new design perspective.” 

Divya Bhatt Mishra and Rahul Mishara
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AFEW and Rahul Mishra also advocate a few more occasions than just buying couture. A few more people, a few nudges to a buyer into a new direction.  “Fashion is not all about consumption but an idea of participation through craft and people. While AFEW is not made in a factory, it is a few human hours less than creating couture,” he adds.  

Rahul attributes the nuances of his design and style to his upbringing in a humble household in Uttar Pradesh. He credits his teachers MS Yadav, Md Ismail Mastersaah, Azmeir Shah Khan and others who “helped me develop my imagination and grasp words. They made numbers and dimensions interesting, thereby shaping my thoughts.” 

Rahul Mishra is the first Indian designer to showcase at the Paris Haute Couture Week. He champions slow fashion and traditional Indian crafts. Despite not knowing what a collector was, he wanted to be one. From there to dressing celebrities like Zendaya, Ashley Jini Park, and Andreea Cristea, he feels it is all about the outlook. Each time he releases a new collection, it is a fresh perspective on Nature, surroundings or thoughts. “I would be happier if my designs gave a fresh narrative of Nature around us. Nature is everything; it is deep, nuanced and inspiring. What is closest to your heart matters.” Rahul believes that rather than claim or define Nature, design should express feelings. 

Rahul Mishra
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Special Arrangements

Rahul’s inspiration is an outcome of his feelings for a cause, emotion or even the beauty of what he is looking at. “Fashion is art I feel. Some collections like AFEW are true to fashion while others, like the Brahma-inspired headpiece dress worn by Fan Bingbing at the Paris Fashion Week. They are both art but in different capacities.” His working medium is mixed media because “It is a collective vision that helps me glorify my craftsmen, our crafts and collective art.”

Model showcasing Rahul Mishra collection

His wife Divya is also a designer and they are co-workers. Had they met earlier, the label would have been named Rahul and Divya. Rahul says, “Divya is three years younger than me in design school. By the time we met, I had already launched my label. She said we have to do bigger things than think about under whose label the clothes are.” 

Divya joins the conversation and adds, “We met at NID (National Institute of Design). Rahul and I are a case of opposites attracting. We have nothing in common except our love for design and staying grounded. We share the same ambition for design,believing in good design. As NID alumni, we have been taught a process in design. It doesn’t come from a Pinterest board or mere observation; it includes a lot of work ethics. We design as a global brand, and that’s how we meet every day without too many thoughts.”