French designer Roland Mouret didn't learn the exquisite cuts he would become famous for at design school; it was from watching his butcher father neatly section carcasses that he gleaned his techniques. Without any knowledge of even the basics of stitching, he created dresses simply by following his intuition for draping, and in 1998, showed his first collection in London. In 2000, he sold Roland Mouret Designs Limited to Sharai Meyers and her banker husband, André, and worked on expanding the brand. Although he became hugely successful over the next five years, building major equity with Hollywood's best, Mouret was unhappy with the Meyers tieup. He gave up the rights to his label, took a two-year sabbatical and then started RM by Roland Mouret with music mogul Simon Fuller in 2006. And without a chink in his popularity, he continued his work with fabric and form till he bought back his namesake label in 2010. A magician who knows his way around the body, he insists that the success of his label lies in knowing the art of undressing: “We all dress up to undress,” he says. Isn’t that a fact.
Here’s how to add street cred to the lady-like silhouette
Stretch cotton pencil dress, Rs 1,45,000, Roland Mouret at Le Mill. Chiffon and satin bomber jacket, Rs 1,800, Glamorous at Koovs.com. Rubber-soled leather sandals, Rs 4,790, Zara. Spiked metal necklace, Rs.795, Accessorize. Leather fold-over clutch, Rs 6,799, Charles & Keith
Photograph: Raj Shetye; Make-up and Hair: Elton Fernandez; Model: Sundal/ Inega Model Management; Assisted by: Daniel Franklin (Styling)
Click through the gallery above for more
By 
