Rahul Mishra had resisted the urge to use a Bollywood star as a showstopper until Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Winter/Festive 2017, where actress Shraddha Kapoor walked the runway in his creation.
The designer says the move was intuitive. “It’s just about being the right fit. We had a few options from Project Eve (retail chain) because ultimately when I create a brand, it’s for certain people and we send everything directly. But sometimes the Project Eve wants to reach out to the larger audience and obviously Bollywood is one of the strongest way[s],” he said after the show on Friday.
“Shraddha brought natural excitement for everybody in the team and they made this exception,” he added.
Project Eve, the retail chain from Reliance Retail, teamed up with Mishra who has created the ‘Rahul Mishra for Project Eve’ collection.
The designer’s textiles — Chanderis, Maheshwaris and Banarasis — sported woven cultural motifs. The light fabrics showcased chirping birds kamal, genda and mogra along with hints of Mughal architectural inspiration.
Catering to the needs of the dynamic ‘New Age’ Indian woman, Mishra offered a festive collection that displayed the beauty and organic blend of handloom craft with impeccable construction.
Kapoor was a picture of elegance as she glided down the ramp in a gorgeous embellished monsoon crane lehnga with hand-embroidered muga silk magenta blouse and a superbly crafted chintz, scalloped, dupatta.
Now that Bollywood has become the part of his show, can we see more such associations in future?
“I don’t know and I can’t say much. Everywhere you have a close connect of films and fashion. I have had the privilege of dressing up quite a few Bollywood faces, they have been liking my product,” Mishra said.
“Using a showstopper is one of the very beautiful things and as a brand we are evolving. Today what I feel right, I have to do that. There are no rigid ideologies as rigidity is opposite of designs. Adaptability is all about doing something new,” he added.
