BUSINESS OF FASHION: DESIGNER RAHUL MISHRA AIMS TO MAKE WOOL AN ALL-WEATHER FABRIC
The transition period between summer and fall is a time for us to swap out our summer wardrobes of shorts and tees: the more comfortable and weather-friendly garb versus those of colder months. Wool: a fabric once thought of as a staple essential for the winter months is attempting to debut into mainstream fashion.
Imagine being able to wear wool, the staple crop of winter closets, year-round. A young and experimental designer, Rahul Mishra, is doing just that by trying to “make wool more user-friendly with craftsmanship.”
“I’ve been working hard to make wool an all-weather fabric and I am really amazed with the outcome,” says Mishra. “All the wool designs that I have come up with can be worn even in the extreme summer of Delhi.”
Mishra has tested bandini (traditional tie-and-dye) on wool and incorporates his signature Buddhist-inspired lotus motifs on approximately twenty-five garments part of his collection.
Mishra has been chosen to represent India at the finals of International Woolmark Prize next month where he will compete among the top five contestants selected through a global search across twenty-four countries. The competition will be held February 21st during Milan Fashion Week.
For Mishra, “it’s not just an honour but also a lucrative platform for generating business internationally.”
Each finalist will present a six-piece collection highlighting the beauty of Merino wool. The winner will be awarded a prize of Australian $100,000 (ove Rs.5.4 million) and a chance to be stocked in the top retailers around the world that are partnered with project.
“I still can’t believe that I have been shortlisted for IWP, something that was won in the past by international icons like Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) and Karl Lagerfeld! This is definitely one of the most important junctures in my career,” says the Mumbai-based designer.
Text reference via Business Standard and photo reference via The End Collective
