Rahul Mishra Turns Ancient Temple Sculptures Into Couture At Paris Fashion Week

Indian fashion designer Rahul Mishra opened Paris Haute Couture Week in spectacular fashion, presenting his new collection titled Devi, The Eternal Muse, on Monday, July 6, 2026. The lineup, unveiled as part of the Autumn Winter 2026/27 showcase, drew directly from stone carvings found in South Indian temples, turning centuries old sculpture into wearable couture on the global stage.

Mishra's signature hand embroidery appeared at an unprecedented scale throughout the collection. Dense layers of threadwork made delicate fabric resemble solid stone, while metallic zardozi and dabka work recreated the weathered textures seen on ancient shrines. Freshwater pearls, crystals and bugle beads added shimmer without softening the architectural feel, resulting in silhouettes with oversized collars, carved shoulder plates and dramatic sculptural frames that looked closer to temple art than traditional gowns. Ivory looks carried colourful floral embroidery, while darker black ensembles leaned into bold gothic inspired shapes. The presentation also included menswear, featuring fluid ivory silhouettes layered with pearl jewellery to match the collection's sculptural theme.

The show's immersive quality came from several key collaborations. Traditional clay artisan Sumant Kumar helped create ceremonial headpieces styled after temple crowns, while Mishra's ongoing partnership with Tanishq brought natural diamonds and temple style jewellery into the garments. British milliner Stephen Jones added gravity defying sculptural headwear that gave several looks a surreal, otherworldly finish.

Mishra said the collection was his most India inspired body of work yet, drawing from sources including the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra dating back to the second century BCE, a twelfth century stone sculpture of a dancer, and the Tarakeshwara Temple in Karnataka from the same era. Speaking about his process in an Instagram video, Mishra described it as almost like time travel, explaining that the collection revisits the symbolism of sculptures more than 2000 years old from southern India, reimagining the same ideas that once inspired ancient sculptors.

The front row reflected the collection's global pull, with Grammy winning rapper Cardi B and Indian entrepreneur Isha Ambani both dressed in custom Rahul Mishra couture. Cardi wore an ivory ensemble featuring sculptural embroidery inspired by temple deities, paired with a dramatic maang tikka style headpiece and cascading diamond earrings, while Isha appeared in a grey creation from the same collection.