“Delhi did not get a single clean air day last year,” says Delhi-based haute couturier Rahul Mishra, and this weighs on his mind. He recently lost his father to lung problems caused by the city’s pollution and has a nine-year-old daughter who constantly questions why she needs to wear a mask.
The designer thinks deeply about man’s impact on the environment, and ideas based on environmental and social responsibility delicately weave their way into his exquisitely embroidered collections.
The messages range from the subtle to the bold and for the collection that he presented at the haute couture shows in Paris last month, which was especially personal with regards to the environment, loss and rebirth as seen in the Hindu belief in the cycle of life. “All my collections are inspired by personal experience,” Mishra explained as we spoke over a crackling connection while he sat on a train between Paris and London a few days after that show.
Ten years after founding his couture house and five years after he was invited onto the official haute couture calendar, Mishra is planning to open an atelier and showroom in Paris for his couture clients, many of whom live in the Gulf. He will be hosting a luxury pop-up in the region this year with plans to open a flagship store here as well.
His ready-to-wear line, a joint venture with Reliance Brands in India, is stocking his effortless floral printed dresses inspired by nature and the landscape exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue in the US. He says it is one of the fastest-selling brands at the store.
Last autumn, he embroidered a collaboration with Tod’s to launch his own handbag range. With the booming economy in India, the 45-year-old designer admits it’s a great time to be an entrepreneur.
A substantial part of his business comes from weddings, which in Indian culture span several days, requiring several changes of outfit – he describes them as the "red carpet" events for people who aren’t celebrities. Although that is not how one would describe billionaire Anant Ambani who wore a custom Verdure bandi embellished with hand-embroidered cranes by Mishra, paired with a kurta and pant set to the Garba evening for his wedding last July to Radhika Merchant.
Bollywood actress Suhana Khan wore a hand-embroidered pastel lehenga set and Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan ordered several pieces from the designer to wear for the wedding. There were other guests in his saris too, including the wife of the founder of an Italian luxury brand, which was a pleasing and discreet endorsement of Mishra’s artistry.
Fans of his lavishly embroidered saris and lehengas (three-piece skirt, blouse and scarf) and menswear include many Bollywood stars such as Priyanka Chopra Jonas, her husband Nick and Deepika Padukone, as well as Gigi Hadid and Zendaya who both wore his pieces for the opening of the Nita Ambani Cultural Centre in 2023.
Zendaya was dressed in a purple floral embroidered saree gown with a gold Flying Cranes bralette while Hadid wore an intricately embroidered trench coat and trousers with a fantastical Himalayan spring floral design that took 2,400 hours to make.
Mishra’s social media is filled with images of brides and celebrities accompanied by descriptions of the intricate embellishment produced by his artisans in studios across India, acknowledging their skills and thousands of hours of painstaking work. He describes his vision of couture as “mindful luxury” – luxury through the lens of participation and not just consumption.
“People love crafted things and that is a very good sign,” he says. He mentions one Dutch bride who, after her wedding, framed her wedding dress as an art piece. “Indian women are not interested in ‘quiet luxury’, they love craftsmanship and are carrying forward the entire legacy. Craft that takes more time to create is much better for the planet and also provides employment.”
He employs 300 people in his atelier on the outskirts of Delhi including embroidery artisans and tailors. The company also works with 1,200 embroiderers and weavers in various craft centres in West Bengal, Madya Pradesh and the Bareilly region in Uttar Pradesh.
One of his main ambitions has been to employ people in rural India so their families can make a living. “We look at the idea of creating slow fashion, at the idea of creating more employment,” he explains. “Everything we produce is handmade. India has the largest population in the world and we look at how what we do can impact trade and create employment.”
Mishra is mindful of his social responsibility as he also grew up in Malhausi, a small village near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh where there was barely any electricity and the school was a mud hut with a thatched roof. He points out that you don’t need electricity for embroiderers and weavers to do their work.
He envisaged being an artist but stumbled on his industry by accident and enrolled on an apparel design programme at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad despite his father’s fury, who hoped Mishra would become an engineer.
Mishra released his debut eponymous ready-to-wear label at Lakme Fashion Week in 2006, subsequently won the annual International Woolmark Prize in 2014 and went to Paris where he became the first Indian to be invited to showcase at the haute couture collections in 2020.
Each season the embroidery does the storytelling, and his latest collection is called The Pale Blue Dot, named after the essay by Carl Sagan about how the Earth is but a speck in the vast cosmic arena.
Sagan says: “Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it, everyone you love, everyone you’ve ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives.”
Mishra adds: “In the wake of my father passing, I have been repeatedly confronted with the realisation that we are but a speck in the grand scheme of the cosmos – small, fragile and not in control.”
There is a darkness to this collection which opens with a cloak and dresses 3D-embroidered with black futuristic cityscapes: representing the cities that to Mishra make demands on the environment. “Look at how fragile the eco-system is and at the same time how greedy we all are a people, a species, that we keep taking all the land to build more,” he says.
The story on the catwalk evolves with the Metropolis dresses segueing into a beaded catsuit with embroidered black birds about to take flight. “One of the rituals when my father passed away is that you feed the ravens every day because, in Hindu mythology, they are the messengers of the departed souls, a connection with your ancestors,” he explains.
Various other metaphors are threaded through the design of the embroideries with the tree of life symbolic of renewal and a finale of beautiful, gilded gowns sending a message about the quiet resilience of the Earth and the healing power of mother nature.
It is a philosophical collection that communicates Mishra’s concerns, but as the many brides and celebrities who wear his colourful dresses and saris testify, there is no one like Mishra for championing Indian craftsmanship with such passion and beauty.
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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The results of the first round are as follows:
Qais Saied (Independent): 18.4 per cent
Nabil Karoui (Qalb Tounes): 15.58 per cent
Abdelfattah Mourou (Ennahdha party): 12.88 per cent
Abdelkarim Zbidi (two-time defence minister backed by Nidaa Tounes party): 10.7 per cent
Youssef Chahed (former prime minister, leader of Long Live Tunisia): 7.3 per cent
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
More on animal trafficking
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
More coverage from the Future Forum
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
More on Quran memorisation:
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
GROUPS AND FIXTURES
Group A
UAE, Italy, Japan, Spain
Group B
Egypt, Iran, Mexico, Russia
Tuesday
4.15pm: Italy v Japan
5.30pm: Spain v UAE
6.45pm: Egypt v Russia
8pm: Iran v Mexico
THE BIO
Ambition: To create awareness among young about people with disabilities and make the world a more inclusive place
Job Title: Human resources administrator, Expo 2020 Dubai
First jobs: Co-ordinator with Magrudy Enterprises; HR coordinator at Jumeirah Group
Entrepreneur: Started his own graphic design business
Favourite singer: Avril Lavigne
Favourite travel destination: Germany and Saudi Arabia
Family: Six sisters
The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
Zayed Sustainability Prize
More on animal trafficking
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
Dr Graham's three goals
Short term
Establish logistics and systems needed to globally deploy vaccines
Intermediate term
Build biomedical workforces in low- and middle-income nations
Long term
A prototype pathogen approach for pandemic preparedness
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The years Ramadan fell in May
