Indian and now international fashion designer Rahul Mishra has many awards and praise affiliated to his name. In 2014, Mishra became the first Indian designer to win the International Woolmark Prize at Milan Fashion Week.
Picture Courtesy: Rahul Mishra (Facebook) / Woolmark collection launch at Harvey Nichols
While the designer is one of the biggest names in Indian fashion today, Mishra’s journey into fashion was merely serendipitous. Mishra graduated with a science degree from Kanpur and quickly developed the desire to be in a creative space. His admissions into fashion design and merchandising at NID Ahmedabad was the first step of his successful career.
It’s no surprise that Mishra’s accomplishments are noteworthy; however, there is much more to Mishra than just designing clothes. When Mishra began visiting Mumbai for embroidery, he noticed that many of the craftsmen would be living in the slums far away from home and sometimes in a small 10×20 room with 10-15 other men. These make-shift homes obviously had challenges such as no toilets or electricity and Mishra was immediately inspired to help these men get a chance at a stable life back in their home villages.
Picture Courtesy: Rahul Mishra (Facebook)
Since most of these artisans came to the city for opportunities and to make enough wages to support their families, Mishra had to convince the men to move back to their homes and then assure them that their pay would not be compromised if they chose to do so. In an article for Elle India, Mishra says “Today, they make 30 percent more money while living in the village with their families than they made in the city.” Till date, Mishra has relocated 300 craftsmen from the slums and is helping those less fortunate a chance at a better life and making the world a better place through his label.
Picture Courtesy: Rahul Mishra (Facebook)
Designers such as Mishra set a strong example for the entire fashion industry, as there are different facets to being considered “sustainable” and helping the people who make the clothes is a big part of it. What organizations such as Seams For Dreams and designers like Rahul Mishra do is way more than just fashion; they help find unique solutions to human problems.
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