Prize Catch

Designer Rahul Mishra has won the International Woolmark Prize India and Middle East regional final and will be joining the likes of Altuzarra (USA),fiXXed (Asia),Christopher Esber (Australia) and SIBLING (Europe) for the final face-off in Milan in February 2014. “It’s one of the biggest moments in my professional life. The International Woolmark Prize is like the Oscars of fashion. I’m so excited that I’ve come this close to the final,just five years after launching my label,” says Mishra. His winning garment displayed his signature M C Escher-inspired progressive hand embroidery with Merino wool yarn on a Merino wool jacket dress. “It combined Escher with Buddishm and the idea that the white lotus is the embryo and origin of all life,” explains Mishra,who’s now looking forward to displaying his designs on the world stage. “It’s a chance for tremendous visibility as the best of media and buyers will be there. I’m going to leave no stone unturned in my quest to win the prize that launched the careers of iconic designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent,” he says,heartened by the fact that fellow designers such as Manish Arora and Rajesh Pratap Singh have extended help in his preparations. “It’s become a matter of national pride,” says Mishra.