Rahul Mishra remembers the first time he visited the Tod’s factory in Ancona, in Italy’s Marche region. “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 handmade craftsmanship, and that’s what we connected on,” he tells ELLE India. The seeds of working together were sown back then and have 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.
“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 designers unique access to our craftsmen and savoir-faire in the Marche region of Italy,” Beretta adds.
Mishra is a true ambassador of Indian design. His eponymous 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 on 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 an Indian vision.’ The luxury brand’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 that these are 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 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 love letters exchanged between the artisanal heritages of the two countries. “There is the beauty of teamwork here—we received the raw materials from Italy and worked on making our embroideries an inherent part of the 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 centred around Mishra’s famous tiger motif designed 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. The tiger signifies movement and freedom to Mishra and also offers an instant connection to India. So do all the other motifs used in this collaboration such as lotuses, parakeets and Mishra’s Tree of Life design. “We’ve spent over a decade perfecting our embroidery repertoire with a certain heritage and character.” Did he wonder if such innately Indian motifs would resonate with a global audience? “Why can’t an Indian element also be global?” Mishra asks. “The whole purpose of these designs is to remind people that it comes from India.”
A LESSON IN SLOW LUXURY
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Mishra truly believes that it’s time for the new Indian aesthetic to go international. “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’ 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 natural choice, a collection such as this assumes the mantle of rare collectables that will last in your wardrobe for a long, long time.”
Read the full story on ELLE India’s new issue, or download your digital copy via Magzter.
