Rahul Mishra remembers the first time he visited the Tod’s factory in Ancona, in the Marche region of Italy. “It was roughly six years ago, and I was amazed by the incredible infrastructure. It’s difficult to see the entire facility in one day, it’s that big,” reminisces Mishra. “I felt how passionate the brand is about hands craftsmanship, and that’s what we connected on,” he tells ELLE India. The seeds of working together were sown back then and finally come to fruition now, with the launch of the ‘Rahul Mishra X Tod’s’ collection, a line of couture accessories for which the 100-year-old Italian powerhouse has worked with an Indian label for the very first time.
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“Tod’s met Rahul [Mishra] for the first time a few years back, and discussions of a collaboration were driven by his exquisite creativity and our shared values of craftsmanship and quality,” says Carlo Alberto Beretta, the general manager at Tod’s. “The collection is part of Tod’s Factory, a creative laboratory where established and emerging designers are invited to offer their point of view on Tod’s DNA and its iconic heritage. It allows creatives unique access to our craftsmen and the savoir-faire in the Marche region of Italy,” he carries on.
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Mishra is a true ambassador of Indian design. His namesake label, which he spearheads along with his wife Divya Mishra, has taken the India story global in more ways than one. He is a regular at Paris Fashion Week and was also the first Indian designer to showcase at the Paris Haute Couture Week. His designs have been seen on everyone from Zendaya to Mark Zuckerberg, and fronted magazine covers across South Korea, China, and Europe. So, Mishra and his path-defining label were a natural choice for Tod’s first-ever Indian collaboration.
India meets Italy
Mishra calls this collaboration a beautiful story of, “Italian craftsmanship serving as the canvas for Indian vision.” Tod’s iconic Gommino loafers and mules as well as the Di Bag and T Timeless shoulder bag have been dressed in intricate resham work, crystals, and sequins, all hand embroidered at Mishra’s atelier in Noida. “It was a technically challenging process that took us time to perfect. I can confidently say these are probably some of the finest bags and shoes you’ll ever witness in terms of craftsmanship and longevity. Such pieces are forever,” says Mishra.
His reinterpretation of Tod’s signatures marries timeless luxury with a contemporary language, according to Beretta, and combines, “the best of both worlds; craftsmanship, quality and modern design, making Tod’s products couture accessories, through his exquisite embroideries.”
A creative collaboration
Made entirely between India and Italy, the limited edition pieces from this line are a true love letter to and from the artisanal heritage of both nations. “There is beauty of teamwork here — we received the raw materials from Italy, and worked on making our embroideries an inherent part of their leather. This was then exported back to Tod’s, where they turned these into three-dimensional products. It’s been a true partnership between Italy and India in that sense,” explains Mishra.
Motifs of India
An animation centered around Mishra’s famous tiger motif for the launch announcement on social media was a fitting choice. Not only is it a key symbol of the Rahul Mishra universe today, but it also has a personal connection for the designer too, who you can say is something of a tiger whisperer. “I was on my way to my house in the hills one night when I saw a tiger in the wild, which is rare. And I’ve had some incredible sightings at Jim Corbett National Park too,” he shares. According to Mishra, the tiger signifies movement and freedom and is instantly connected to India. All the other motifs used in this collaboration include lotuses, parakeets, and Mishra’s Tree of Life design. “We’ve spent over a decade creating our excellence of embroidery, with a certain heritage and character.”
Did he wonder if such innately Indian motifs would resonate with a global audience? “What is the idea of being global? Why can’t an Indian element also be completely global?” Mishra muses. “The sheer purpose of these designs is to remind people that it comes from India.”
A lesson in slow luxury
Mishra truly believes that the new global is going to be a global Indian aesthetic. “Just like French, Italian, British and Japanese design is considered universal today,” he says. This collaboration is an important step to further that narrative. “When you push the envelope for ‘handmade in India’ to get respect at the top end of luxury, everything else will follow,” he feels.
“The kind of workmanship you see in this collection will not be around in India forever. As our economy develops and digital embroideries become a choice for many more, a collection such as this assumes the mantle of rare collectibles, that will last in your wardrobe for a long, long time.”
