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Mint
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
India Couture Week: Clothes that reinvent the idea of wedding wear
The annual couture week in Delhi might have become a circus-like extravaganza with social media influencers and celebrity showstoppers, but its biggest draw remains the clothes. Like its past 17 editions, this year's couture week is led by what sells the most—wedding wear. Each of the 14 participating designers is presenting versions of traditional as well as contemporary lehnga-cholis and kurta-pyjamas, some of which qualify as wearable art—as Lounge found out while sifting through the collections before the week-long showcase started on 23 July. There are some pieces though that go far beyond the creative margins of fashion, and celebrate a different kind of maximalism. They question traditional forms with unique silhouettes, interplay of embroideries and colours, or an unconventional stitch. Here are some of those creations—frilly and fabulous. Becoming Love, part of which was shown at the Paris Haute Couture Week last month, has perhaps the most pieces that could be defined as wearable art. From Gustav Klimt's painting embroidered on a long dress, and a trench coat studded with a Monet-esque scenery, to a flowing golden leaf wrapping the wearer—the collection offers ample reminders of how skilled India's craftspeople are. If there was an award for the blingiest collection, it would go to The Palace of Jewels. Each piece is unapologetically over the top, bringing ornamentation of India's royal palaces to clothes. East, which will close the couture week on 30 July, sticks to intricate embroidery but experiments with contemporary silhouettes like multi-tiered dresses and shades of black—unusual for a brand famous for following the traditional bridalwear palette of reds and pinks. Oxynn is a punk and futuristic take on Indian couture. It uses metallic wires and custom textiles to mimic traditional embroideries and mirrored textiles of Gujarat's Banjara tribe. Quintessence is a lesson in how to create clothes that are sculpted yet soft and fluid, as visible in this cabaret-style flapper ensemble. One of the few menswear-focused collections, Metropolis subverts traditional dress codes. Frills replace shirt collars, kurtas take the shape of kaftans, and veils become the new cap—all dismantling predictability in Indian couture. An extension of the designer's 2024 couture collection, Antevorta, the latest Arcanum line gives a new form to patola saris, using geometrical and molecular designs and cording techniques. The result: garments that look like they are in motion.
NDTV
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Exclusive: How Rahul Mishra's Paris Fashion Show, Shaped By Gulzar's Satrangi Re, Became A Rage
Indian couturier Rahul Mishra, who is set to open the India Couture Week 2025 later this week in New Delhi, spent last week painting Paris, one of the world's fashion capitals, red. The celebrated designer presented his Fall 2025 Couture collection 'Becoming Love' at the Paris Couture Week with rapper Cardi B as his muse and drawing inspiration from the works of Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rahul Mishra (@rahulmishra_7) Over 300 artisans from his atelier worked relentlessly for over a thousand hours to create intricate ensembles reflecting Klimt's philosophy by hand. These garments narrated the seven-stage journey of love -- from Dilkashi (attraction) to Maut (transcendence). And there was one song that Rahul Mishra said kept coming back to him while he was visualising his new clothing line. It was Satrangi Re from Mani Ratnam's 1998 film Dil Se.. Penned by Gulzar and composed by AR Rahman, the track is still memorable for its lyrics dipped in Sufism and the enduring quality of its unique melody. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, the designer said Satrangi Re stayed with him for years-like an echo. "It is one of those rare creations that captures the entire emotional spectrum of love in a uniquely Indian, deeply Sufi, and profoundly poetic way... And when we began shaping 'Becoming Love', that song came rushing back. A few months ago, while we were researching the stages of love-through poetry, literature, craft, film, and art-I remember playing the song in the studio. "I played it for the whole team. I wanted them to feel what I felt: how AR Rahman's haunting score, Gulzar Saab's piercing words, Santosh Sivan's breathtaking visuals, and Mani Ratnam's poetic direction-all came together to translate love into colour, sound, and silence," Rahul Mishra said. The song was not a direct influence in terms of design, but in spirit. It became more than just a reference-it became an emotional benchmark. "It reminded us how love can be innocent and obsessive, fragile and fierce, sacred and all-consuming-all at once. Each stage in 'Becoming Love'-from Dilkashi (attraction) to Maut (transcendence)-could find a visual and emotional parallel in Satrangi Re. There's something incredibly universal in that song, yet deeply personal too. Just like love itself. So yes, the song wasn't just in the background-it was in the air. It helped shape the mood of the collection, and its emotional architecture," he said. Through Satrangi Re, Rahul Mishra found an opening into his new collection and it led him to Gustav Klimt. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rahul Mishra (@rahulmishra_7) "I kept going back to Satrangi Re -not just as a song, but as a philosophical arc. The depth of meaning in that melody, its embodiment of the seven shades of love, became the emotional spine of the collection. From there, we began exploring poetry, literature, craft, culture-and eventually, art. It was during this exploration that Gustav Klimt emerged as a guiding force. His work felt like a fascinating contradiction: visually opulent, yet emotionally raw." According to the designer, what struck him the most was the way he captured women and not just their beauty, but their mystery. "In his Water Serpents, for example, he painted four women in a kind of suspended dream state. Their bodies dissolve into florals, gold, and movement-as if the emotion was more important than the figure itself. The floral motifs felt almost totemic, deeply symbolic, like they were guarding a secret only love could unlock. There was a kind of reverence in Klimt's gaze-a soft surrender to the subjects he painted. It wasn't about control. It was about devotion. That really stayed with me. "In 'Becoming Love', we tried to channel that spirit-not by replicating Klimt literally, but by absorbing his language and translating it into our own. The gold, the broken shapes, the layering of embroidery-each was a way of capturing emotion, not form. For us, the female form became a medium to represent love as reverence. The clothes weren't just garments; they were prayers. Just like Klimt, we weren't painting women-we were painting presence," he added. The actual making of the collection of 'Becoming Love' took about four months. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rahul Mishra (@rahulmishra_7) "Once we had the narrative of the seven stages of love, each stage unfolded almost like a separate collection within the whole. We approached it like a journey-beginning with the innocence of attraction, moving through the chaos of longing and infatuation, and finally arriving at unity, disappearance, and transcendence. Our atelier of over 300 artisans worked relentlessly. "Each piece was created entirely by hand. Some of them took over a thousand hours-threads of gold embroidered like whispers of emotion, petals sewn with a kind of meditative silence. No machines. No shortcuts. Only patience, and a deep respect for the process." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rahul Mishra (@rahulmishra_7) For Rahul Mishra, 'Becoming Love' is an ever-growing, ever-shifting emotion. "It's both a compass and a mirror. It doesn't just define a phase of life or a passing inspiration-it's a way of being. A feeling that drives me every single day. It's not confined to personal love. It's just as much about my love for craft, for storytelling, for process. "It's the way I look at embroidery not as surface work, but as soul work. It's the way Divya (his wife and business partner) and I look at design-not just as fashion, but as a language that includes architecture, industrial form, space, emotion. Everything we create is born out of that slow-burning, all-consuming reverence. That's what 'Becoming Love' really is. Professionally too, it defines our journey," he said. As someone who has become a regular at global fashion events like the Paris Couture Week or the Met Gala, has it become the usual for him to go globetrotting for some of the biggest marquee events in the industry? The designer said, "I don't think it can ever become 'usual'." "To be part of the Paris Haute Couture calendar is a rare, profound honour-and I carry that awareness with me every single time. Haute couture isn't just fashion-it's the highest form of it. And to have my work accepted within that framework, by the French institutions and the Paris audience, is something I'll never take for granted. "Paris is truly my karmabhoomi -my land of action and transformation. It doesn't just give me a platform; it demands more of me. Each collection asks for greater storytelling, more refinement, more poetry. The moment you think you've arrived, the city reminds you that you're still becoming. It keeps you honest." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rahul Mishra (@rahulmishra_7) Rahul Mishra, however, still remembers his roots in janmabhoomi. "Back home in India, hundreds of hands work in silence-crafting each petal, each stitch with devotion. Then there's our core team of seven or eight who travel with me to Paris, and over a hundred more who support us there during every show. From the chaos of fittings to the stillness before the lights go on-it's a collective dream unfolding. "To see our work-born from Indian villages, from stories of the land and the heart-find space on the global stage... It's humbling. It's a responsibility we carry with great respect. Every time we show in Paris, we walk into that room with the same nervous energy, the same gratitude, the same fire to say something honest through our clothes. No, it's never usual. It's sacred."
Mint
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Paris couture week: Rahul Mishra brings together Sufism and classical art
On 7 July, the first day of Paris Haute Couture Week, designer Rahul Mishra showcased his latest collection, Becoming Love, at the Collège des Bernardins. The 30-plus looks offered the same design philosophy the Delhi-based designer is known for—high on embroidery, detailing and exaggerated silhouettes. Some of the pieces were inspired from the work Gustav Klimt, presented using techniques of aari threadwork, zardozi, naqshi, dabka and fareesha embroidery. Besides resham threads, the collection included the use of embellishments like beads, freshwater pearls, kundan and sequins, all woven on to silk organza, tulle, velvet and satin fabrics. While talking about the collection, Mishra said, in the press release, that Becoming Love delves into seven stages of love, from attraction to death, and draws from various sources like Sufism and classical art. Here are some highlights from the show: Also read: The seductive power of Rahul Mishra designs Also read: Paris Fashion Week: A menswear show of designs inspired by India, the 90s
Daily Mirror
03-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
New night train to beautiful coastal city is one of Europe's longest
In total, it takes 19 hours to complete the trip, trundling through the pretty countryside of Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, and on into Croatia, during the just under 1,200-kilometer route. It will run four times a week A new train route from Warsaw to Rijeka has officially opened. On Saturday, the first PKP train from Warsaw to Rijeka in Croatia completed its journey. The new 'Adriatic Express' rail route has been hailed as the first sleeper to connect five European countries. It is run by the largest Polish rail operator, PKP Intercity, and traces a line southwest from Warsaw towards the tip of the Adriatic. In total, it takes 19 hours to complete the trip, trundling through the pretty countryside of Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, and on into Croatia, during the just under 1,200-kilometer route. It will run four times a week. The train has been launched in a bid to capitalise on renewed interest in tourism between the two countries. According to the Travel Croatia portal, Croatia welcomed more than 1.2 million Polish tourists last year. Discussions about the route began four years ago during the coronavirus pandemic, but were delayed by various lockdowns in Europe. It looks as if demand for it will be high, with 90% of the seats on the first train taken. There are 172 seats on the train, including 132 second class seats and 40 couchettes, Euro News reported. Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak said: "This is the beginning of a new chapter for holiday rail travel! This is not only a fast and convenient connection, but also a symbol of accessible European holidays - also from smaller towns!" The train leaves Warsaw at 2pm and arrives in Rijeka at 9am the following day—in time for breakfast. It returns at 7pm and arrives back in the Polish capital a little before 2pm. One-way fares on the new route start at around PLN 200 (£43). The connection is initially designed just for the tourist season and will operate until the end of the summer holidays, with the last night train from Warsaw scheduled for 28 August. There are plenty of reasons to make the 1,200km journey to Rijeka, which is a Croatian port city steeped in history. It sits in Kvarner Bay in the northern Adriatic Sea and is known as a gateway to Croatia's islands. Korzo, the main promenade, is lined with Habsburg-era buildings. The 19th-century Ivan pl. Zajc Croatian National Theatre has ceiling paintings by Gustav Klimt. The hilltop Trsat Castle complex, which includes a religious shrine, has sweeping views of the islands of Kvarner Bay.
Time Out
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
An immersive exhibition themed after ‘The Little Prince' comes to Singapore with enchanting 3D visuals
Rekindle your sense of childhood wonder and imagination with the latest immersive exhibition that's landing in Singapore. The Little Prince: The Journey of Stars takes you through the whimsical children's tale by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – a beloved classic that's been pored over by generations. You'll know what to expect if you've attended the other exhibitions by Korean multimedia art collective Groundseesaw: vibrant 3D visuals projected across six-metre walls, educational snippets that delve deeper into the storybook world of The Little Prince, and a rousing instrumental soundtrack that heightens the whole multi-sensory experience. Follow the prince as he travels across planets, gains wisdom from the fox, and shows you to see the world through a different lens. The Little Prince: The Journey of Stars is suitable for all ages, and not to worry if you aren't already familiar with the book. Treat this exhibition as an introduction to the simple yet poignant tale that holds multiple layers of profound, compelling themes beneath its colourful surface. The exhibition replaces Gustav Klimt: Timeless Beauty, while Van Gogh Inside: Love, Vincent and Monet Inside will continue running all the way till the end of July 2025, minimally. Each session lasts one hour in fixed time slots. As sessions start on the dot, visitors are advised to arrive at least 10 minutes earlier so that they can find a good spot and settle in nicely before the story comes alive. Not coming with little ones in tow? Make a prior reservation for ATLAS, the famous Art Deco-inspired bar housed within the same building, to complete your visit. Alternatively, you can also cater some time to drop by Takara House, a cosy new Japanese-inspired vintage thrift store and café that's within easy walking distance. We love its homemade pastries! The Little Prince: The Journey of Stars is slated to open its doors on June 26, 2025 at Groundseesaw, located on Level 3 at Parkview Square. Entry for local adults starts from $22 ($11 with the ongoing 50 percent discount), and tickets for dates all the way till July 31, 2025 can be purchased via Fever. New hotels to check out in Singapore in 2025
