#Preview: Rahul Mishra’s Monsoon Diaries Collection at ICW 2016

Rahul Mishra, a master at mixing the traditional with the contemporary, has created a particularly dreamy collection for India Couture Week 2016. Inspired by the lushness and the mood of the monsoons, he gave us a sneak peek at what to expect:

1. What is the inspiration behind your Monsoon Diaries couture collection?
“The collection is inspired by German biologist and artist Ernst Haeckel’s work (Art Forms of Nature, 1899).”

2. What are some of the techniques that went into the making of the clothes?
“This season we explored the enchanting weaves of maheshwari and delved deep into experimenting with silk and cotton in varying degrees to weave a story of our strong cultural heritage. We created colour tonalities using different kinds of silk, muga silk being one of them, to create a silk fabric that is capable of bearing the weight of heavy, intricate embroidery. The usage of organic khadi and handmade silk organza helped us lend an earthiness to the pieces.
This season marks a very conscious step we have taken towards bridal couture and hence embroidery has played a key role in contributing to the story of monsoon. Metal yarns and zardozi helped add three dimensionality to the visuals. Resham yarns dyed in vibrant hues painstakingly set on a subdued background add another dimension to the theme of monsoon diaries.”

3. Has this collection been created with sustainable practices?
“Yes. For this collection we have used hand woven textiles and the collection is completely handmade.”

4. A piece that you would recommend from the collection?
“The peacock lehenga.”