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For designer Rahul Mishra, the journey is more than one enjoyment – this is an internal part of his creative process. Each journey inspires its clothes with global stories. And if there is a city that has left an indelible impression on his development as a designer, it is Paris.
Five years ago, Rahul Paris became the first Indian designer to perform at the Paris Haute Coucher Week, an achievement that strengthened his bond with the fashion capital.
Since then, it has exceeded just one destination – it is a crucible of creativity, where heritage and innovation converge to shape their work.
“I have stopped counting how many times I have visited – it is four or five times a year from 2014,” they say.
Despite being located in Delhi, he considers this cultural subscriber to be his second home. “I live in India, but I am also in Paris – although I have no permanent house there. I have divided my time between the two cities,” shares the designer, who lives from a village Malahousi near Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Paris: A collection for Coucher
Rahul’s immersion in the city has deeply shaped his design philosophy. “Before my exposure here, I was more than a minimum, but I learned that extending everything. When you look at old structures and buildings, there is no way that you can find minimalism in those settings, and it affects my idea process deeply,” he reflects.
Beyond its architectural grandeur, the city has a permanent legacy of art, culture and hate coucher.
“This is where the artists – whether Picasso or Van Gag – came to make their mark. Some places in the world have that kind of magnetic appeal,” they note. It is a place that not only embraces creativity, but also refines it.
In 2023, with the French government recognized by the Shewellier de Lore Ordre Des Arts at Des Latress, Rahul credited this artistic hub with shaping his vision.
“The multicultural risk of craftsmanship and Haute Couture has played an important role in defining my work. It is the best place to develop, pursue its boundaries and learn from the best,” he confirms.
Work and balance of wandering
But with the journey, Rahul is beyond Ateliers and the runway. They believe that exploration is as important for their creativity as crafts. “Migration is the same as work,” they explain.
For him, the time here is not just about fashion week; This is also the place where he finds inspiration in his quiet corners with his wife, Divya Bhatt Mishra, and daughter, Ana.
“In the first few years, I will walk endlessly – morning, evening – just searching,” he reminds. Now, with a demand schedule, those long walks have been deliberately replaced by the gateway. Post-shows, families often retreat in rural areas, embrace the slow rhythm of life.
“One season, we visited the Lawyer Valley and lived with a couple in a chetu, older than the Taj Mahal. Their family’s diary accounts for world wars, and I also came to know that there was a time in France when taxes and windows were taxed,” he said.
For Mishra, it is not about checking the travel sites – it is about absorbing new approaches. “These trips allow me to refresh my views to life and design. It is about going beyond the journey of sightseeing,” they say.
His favorite experience? Living in villages in rural areas, shopping at local grocery stores, cycling through grape gardens, taking out boats on lakes, swimming and walking in the forest.
“The key is finding out how different cultures live, how village stability arrive – simple things that add a lot to your thought process,” they explain.
Where fashion and travel convergence
Rahul’s coucher is a proof of his visit. Their collections are often whispering the places that he has been – whether it is a baroque elegance of architecture or the soil texture of a European rural areas.
“I think fashion and travel are deeply connected. Both are about searching, reinforcement and storytelling,” they say. As a designer, their function strades both the worlds-the high-energy of the coucher and the grounding simplicity of nature. And for that, this contrast is necessary.
Rahul Mishra’s favorite spot in Paris:
Cafe Verlet – for unique varieties of tea
L’Avenue-Go-Two for Business Lunch
Laperouse – A Classic Destination for Dinner and Hosting
GIVERNY- A must for art lovers, where Cloud Monet spent the last 30 years of his life
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