Rahul Mishra Conjures an Indian Garden Paradise for Tod’s in London
LONDON — It was many years in the making, seven to be precise, but the collaboration between the Indian couturier Rahul Mishra and Tod’s is finally about to blossom.
On Friday, Tod’s and Mishra will unveil the latest Tod’s Factory project, a collection of Gommino loafers, Di bags and T Timeless accessories blazing with natural and mythical nature motifs, including tigers, parrots, lotus ponds and the Tree of Life.
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The pieces are a fusion of Italian and Indian craftsmanship, and testimony to the patience of its creators, who saw the project interrupted by lockdown restrictions during COVID-19.
“They are the ‘slowest’ bags and shoes ever. They took a long time to make, and a lot of patience, but they are unique, beautiful things, and the finest work from the two brands,” said Mishra in an interview.
The designer, who shows his couture collections in Paris and has a new ready-to-wear collection sold in India, said he first visited the Tod’s headquarters and factories in Italy’s Le Marche region back in 2017.
“It was love at first sight, and I knew we had to do something together,” he said, adding that the partners took their time exploring ways to apply traditional beading and embellishment techniques to the Tod’s leather, and give the designs a modern feel.
The research, Mishra said, was complex, but he loved using the leather as a “canvas” for the handmade designs.
“For me the canvas was smaller than I’m used to, so the details really became more of a focal point, and storytelling was so important. I also wanted to give the designs a modern Indian feel and create new motifs from old shapes such as tigers, parrots, foliage and lotus ponds,” said the designer, who refers to nature as his “constant muse.”
The designs are all hand-embroidered by Kaarigar artisans. Shoes have floral embroideries woven with silk threads on metallic napa leather. Mishra’s signature Tree of Life appears on black or gold velvet shoes.
The Di bag and the T Timeless shoulder bag showcase intricate floral embroideries embellished with crystals, beads and sequins.
The Rahul Mishra x Tod’s shoes and accessories will make their debut during a cocktail at the Tod’s store on Bond Street on Friday. They’ll be sold at Tod’s stores in Paris, London, Milan, New York, Los Angeles, Dubai, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore, Thailand, tods.com, and in select Rahul Mishra boutiques.
Prices for the Gommino loafers start at 1,390 pounds, while the Di Bag costs 3,595 pounds.
Tod’s Factory is a creative laboratory that launched in 2018 with the goal of creating unconventional projects with designers and artists from the world of luxury and design. Over the years the Italian brand has unveiled one-off collections, capsules and limited editions that reinterpret the Tod’s style.
Alessandro Dell’Acqua was the debut collaborator, followed by Alber Elbaz in July 2019. Over the years, other collaborators have included designers Maiko Kurogouchi and Ryo Kashiwazaki and the brands Moncler and Palm Angels.
Mishra won the International Woolmark Prize in 2014 at Milan Fashion Week, and later became the first Indian designer to become a guest member of the Paris Couture Week calendar.
In 2022, he signed a joint venture with the Indian industrial giant Reliance and sold the company a 60 percent stake in his label to the company. He has since rolled out ready-to-wear, and has been opening stores across India, in places such as New Delhi and Hyderabad.
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