Rahul Mishra’s approach to building his brand is rooted in his respect for the provenance of his materials, the sustainability of his production lines and the preservation of India’s traditional craftsmanship and its craftsmen and women.
Originally from Malhausi, a small village located near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Mishra won Best Student Designer of The Year when he graduated from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, in 2005. In 2009, Mishra became the first non-European designer to win a scholarship to Milan’s Istituto Marangoni . He made his debut in 2006 at the Lakme Fashion Week with a collection using cotton handloom from Kerala.
Over the years, Malhausi has showcased his work at fashion weeks in London, Dubai and Australia, in addition to India Fashion Week. He has also become known for incorporating traditional Indian textiles and handmade artisanship to his work. He was the first Indian designer to feature on online rental boutique, Rent the Runway.
In 2013, Malhausi won the Indian leg of the International Woolmark Prize and later, the 2014 Woolmark Prize at the Milan Fashion Week. The award carries an AUS $100,000 prize (over 5.4 million rupis) and has previously been won by designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani . Mishra is the only Indian to have won the award. His work featured in London's Victoria & Albert Museum in 2015 to 2016 following his Woolmark Prize in 2014.