Internationally acclaimed couturier Rahul Misha brings to you his latest bridal edit — Kamkhab, which you’re bound to fall in love with.
Imagining his bride to be someone who appreciates art, heritage and craftsmanship, couturier Rahul Mishra has curated one of the most dreamy and mesmerizing bridal collections — Kamkhab, which is a reflection of deep emotions, love, beauty and intricate artistry.
Explaining the thought behind naming the collection Kamkhab, the internationally acclaimed designer says, “‘Kam’ translates to ‘less’ and ‘khaab’ refers to a ‘nap’— ‘Kamkhab’ is a sequence of dreams woven together like a garland of artistic musing, of emotions and of instances that we’ve subconsciously lived through, multiple times in our minds. Like an emotion of personalised artistry, it is the hand painting of frescos on the walls of a family home. The vision of its inhabitants adorned on its lime plaster surfaces with vegetable and stone dyes, immortalised in craft and beauty. Similar to love poems, hand-embroidered on a piece of clothing, delicately holding together dreams and reality.”
Known to have mastered the art of marrying traditional elements with contemporary flair, Mishra’s Kamkhab collection is a perfect amalgamation of old love charm and the lightness of new beginnings. Framing his thoughts behind this line, Rahul Mishra, who is also the first Indian designer to showcase at the Paris Haute Couture Week, tells us, “Putting together Kamkhab had been like creating a bouquet — with the beauty of old love and the lightness of new beginnings. It is a collection of garments developed at our atelier over two lockdowns, through the breaking and rebuilding of hope, resilience and a fluctuating strength of love. When sometimes, a khaat (embroidery frame) would be abandoned for months to remain and be resumed later by a different person. Much like a garden after the process of seeding—soaking its sun and water. Each sapling takes its own sweet time to produce flowers. And the clothes, emerging out of a different verse of the same poem, each tell a different part of the same story.”
He continues, “The collection was filmed in a century-old haveli in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan that was reopened after, over eight decades of being shut. Much like intricate adornments on the walls of these homes, the garments envisage the love one pours into building their home. Taking months and years to paint their stories and reside amidst them so as to never forget. Kamkhab borrows from the limitlessness of craft, the volume of skill that contributes to its immortality. And the strong passion that enables it to be brought to realisation.”
The exquisite bridal edit, like Mishra’s previous collections, continues to push the envelope with easy and clean silhouettes that are timeless and borrow from heritage and traditional crafts. The pieces are weaved in fabrics such as silk organza, georgette, crêpe and tissue along with Banarasi cutwork and Chanderi silk textiles. Furthermore, bringing out the resilient spirit of the collection is its eclectic colour palette. Kamkhab navigates through a range of pastel hues and Mishra’s signature ivory and gold. It also features garments with bright multi-colour embroideries over an ivory base, along with some statement hues such as royal blue, yellow and maroon.
What further makes each piece in this collection magnificent and a standout is the use of an age-old technique of hand embroidery, which despite the intricate detailing makes the couture weightless and an ideal option for the forward-thinking bride who wants to make heads turn on her big day.
Commenting about his inspiration for the collection, the designer explains, “I don’t particularly work with the concept of a muse or inspiration but when I think of the ‘Rahul Mishra woman’, she is strong, smart and knows what she wants from life. She believes in mindful living, in change and people. She is multi-cultured and well informed. Her style is governed by her sense of individuality with a keen eye for detail. She has an appreciation towards art and craftsmanship that both act as important criteria for her fashion choices.”
Mentioning the price range for the collection, the Delhi-based designer says, “While each of the pieces is customised as per the consumer’s requirements, prices may relatively differ and may go much higher respectively. However, the base prices for different styles start from close to 1 Lakh and go up to 6 Lakh rupees.”
With a focus on sustainability that presents fashion as a tool to create participation and empowers the local craft community of India, Rahul Mishra’s eponymous label strives to build sustainable livelihoods for more than 1000 artisans. No wonder, the talented designer is not only a hot fav of B-town celebs like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Athiya Shetty, Dia Mirza, Shraddha Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit among others but also popular in the international fashion industry. Fashion critic and former International Fashion Editor of Vogue, Suzy Menkes, an avid follower of the brand’s work, regards Rahul as a “national treasure” while the late Franca Sozzani has praised him as “successfully highlighting the best and most peculiar features of his homeland.”
The brand works on the philosophy of the 3 E’s — Environment, employment, and empowerment, and aims to look at luxury from the lens of participation and not just consumption.
One can purchase the designer’s Kamkhab collection from his flagship stores, in New Delhi and Mumbai or from the brand’s official website www.rahulmishra.in. Some select styles can also be shopped at leading multi-designer stores across India and abroad.