Rahul Mishra's DEVI Haute Couture Show at Collège des Bernardins

Rahul Mishra presented his Fall 2026 haute couture collection "DEVI" at the Collège des Bernardins in Paris on Monday evening. The collection draws inspiration from apsaras, devis, and celestial attendants carved into Indian temple stone, translating their barely-clothed, jewelry-as-garment aesthetic into embroidered trompe-l'œil surfaces mimicking basalt, soapstone, and bronze. Mishra's atelier used Zardozi and dabka techniques with crystals and bugle beads, achieving featherweight garments. Collaborators included murtikar Sumant Kumar for headpieces, milliner Stephen Jones for veils, and composer Jayant Luthra, who recorded temple instruments inside the Ajanta Caves and structured compositions around Fibonacci sequences. The front row featured Isha Ambani, underscoring Indian luxury's global presence. Mishra co-designed high jewelry with Tanishq, a Tata-owned house, integrating pieces as extensions of the couture. Mishra is the first Indian designer invited to Paris Haute Couture Week, a Woolmark Prize winner, and a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres since 2023. The show emphasized mindful luxury, crediting artisan communities.