We often look at the sky and see a distance, as if we are staring across a void and yet the horizon is merely a mirror of our very biology. Like a seed, in the womb of the earth, germinating in its own fertile nothingness, the human form sips from the same ancient chalice of solar warmth and mineral memory. As Carl Sagan once said, “The nitrogen in our D NA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars.” We are not merely observers of the universe; we are its living, breathing remnants
In the ancient echoes of the Rig Veda, this cosmic connection is known as the Panchabhuta. It is the sacred architecture of existence, a delicate choreography of five primary elements: prithvi, jala, agni, vayu and akasha. When these forces gather in perfect proportion, life flourishes like a masterpiece.
To a human life, the universe may be billions of years in making, but to itself, it has just begun. When the forces shift, we do not simply vanish; we dissolve, returning our borrowed atoms to the great elemental well.
Earlier this month, Rahul Mishra presented Alchemy, a collection for the Spring/Summer 2026 season of Paris Haute Couture Week, an exploration of this seamless boundary where the human form ends and the cosmos begins.
“The panchabhuta describes existence as a balance of elemental forces, while modern physics explains the same truth through atoms, matter and stars. For me, they converged when I stopped seeing them as different timelines and began seeing them as different perspectives. One looks inward, the other outward, yet both arrive at the same understanding: everything comes from the same source and everything eventually returns to it,” Rahul begins by telling us why he blended the Vedic panchabhutas with Carl Sagan’s cosmic theories for his latest Paris collection.
As the first Indian designer to be invited to showcase at the Paris Haute Couture Week and the recipient of the International Woolmark Prize (2014) and Chevalier de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2023), Rahul reflects on the transience of these foundational life forms, interpreting them as they are felt, not seen.
“I think the moment of clarity came when I realised that much of the ancient wisdom that surrounds me and the science we speak of today are, in essence, saying the same thing. I have been reading Vedic philosophy more deeply in recent years, while science has been a personal interest for a long time. Carl Sagan gave scientific language to something Indian philosophy has always understood intuitively — that we are not observers of the universe, but participants within it,” the designer elucidates.
While thousands of hours were spent crafting every ensemble at his Noida atelier, the intellectual spark and the concepts for this edit were nurtured in the silence of the Himalayan ridgelines. Rahul spent significant time at Aatman, his new residence in Kalakhet, Uttarakhand, which was designed with the same panchabhuta philosophy.
“At our mountain home in the Himalayas, time tends to slow down and one begins to experience nature very differently. The sky feels closer, clouds drift at eye level, light moves with intention and water has a kind presence. Time slows enough for you to observe how everything responds to everything else. That environment stripped the elements of symbolism and made them experiential. I stopped thinking about how air should look and began thinking about how it is felt. That shift changed everything — from scale and structure to the way the garments move, breathe and occupy space as they walk,” he shares.
The collection opens with ether (akasha), the cosmic vastness, the eternal silence, which is not nothingness, but intelligible potential. Then enters the impression of air (vayu), its lightness, movement and enormous strength, traced into fabric through instinct and memory.
Fire (agni) arrives next as the transformational force, which is shapeless by nature, but gives form to anything it touches. Water (apas) is obedient to gravity yet constantly in motion, a mirror to the moon and the world around it. And lastly, Earth, the eternity’s ledger of memories. Shaped from the interactions between the other forms, it is a vessel retaining their traces and textures, the force of resilience and tenderness.
What sets this collection apart from previously overtly done odes to the elements and the cosmos is the designer’s resilience to fashion hyper-real elements through couture itself. He avoided incorporating easy materials and fabrics that already mimic the properties of nature, such as sheer plastics for water or stiff synthetics for air and created pieces that even a child can recognise at first glance.
“We relied on visual cues and behaviour alongside representation. Air was conveyed through suspension and lightness, water through flow and reflection, fire through tension and release. Earth carried density and stillness, while space was expressed through scale and absence. Children understand the world sensorially — they don’t intellectualise it. So, we trusted instinct over symbolism. Imitation limits imagination. When a fabric already looks like water or plastic, it stops asking questions. From the beginning, we were committed to embroidery rather than relying on obvious visual shortcuts. We wanted to paint with thread, to tell the story through handwork rather than surface effect. The intention was never to depict an element literally, but to allow it to reveal itself through process. When something emerges rather than being imposed, it carries far more emotion and depth,” he reveals.
The couture collection explores craftsman techniques such as spiralling constructions and funnel-like volumes inspired by the scientific model of a black hole, softly pleated silk, surfaces were covered in microscopic mineral patterns, heavy sequins layered to denote cosmic debris, linear embroidery on tulle catsuits, organza panels layered across skirts, feather-light microembroideries on sheer bases — finished with fine beadwork and metallic threads.
“Our textiles team is engaged in extensive research and development throughout the year and because this collection evolved slowly over many months, several new techniques emerged organically. While our work is rooted in the ancient embroidery traditions of the Indian subcontinent, there is always an intention to allow these techniques to evolve through intervention and imagination. Many a time, we worked without visual references. There was a great deal of trial and error and redoing of the same surface again and again until the desired effect revealed itself,” Rahul recalls.
Alchemy’s colour palette was not merely a stylistic choice but a tonal map of the universe. Think noir, deep charcoal, sparkling silver and purple swirls to represent the vast cosmos. Molten reds, yellows and oranges coming alive for Agni. Dark blues, moonlit silver and white flowing like water. Ivory expressing the weightlessness of Vayu and hues of honey, whiskey and sunset browns forming the earth.
“Alchemy intends to visually transport the viewer where colour wasn’t an intentional tool, but becomes an apparent distinction when you look from a distance. The intention with each show is to take the viewer through a journey; in this case, it is through each of these elements and our interpretations of them,” the couturier explains.
Before wrapping up our conversation with the ace designer, we ask him what he is looking forward to next and he concludes, “the next collection is already forming, but like all natural processes, it needs time before it reveals its shape. Meanwhile, I will continue to seek stimu - lation in nature’s bounty and life around me. AFEW Rahul Mishra (his luxury readyto-wear brand) will also showcase our FW26 RTW collection at the Lakmé Fashion Week in March 2026.”
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