Zendaya paid homage to India: Rahul Mishra unpacks the finer details about his viral ensemble

Atelier shared his experience of dressing the Hollywood star

The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) inauguration in Mumbai drew in a star-studded crowd. Celebrities such as Priyanka Chopra, Tom Holland, Gigi Hadid, and Zendaya were in attendance. It was the Euphoria star’s outfit, however, that stole the show and caught the attention of the internet.

The actor wore a custom-made sari by Indian designer Rahul Mishra, featuring a golden beaded top and a sweeping embroidered skirt that continued motifs from Mishra's recent spring 2023 Cosmos couture collection. In conversation with Vogue, Mishra spoke about the dress and its ethos in great detail. “The hem of her skirt and the trail articulates a kind of jungle with tigers, squirrels, and flamingos in their natural habitat as they look up at the midnight sky,” Mishra stated. “It’s the way our world looks up at the cosmos at night to experience its beauty.”

Mishra also revealed that he had immediately envisioned the magnificent design for Zendaya when he was approached by Law Roach, the star's creative director, about a month ago. "This was the first sketch that I made for her amongst others, and it was the first outfit she tried on during the fitting.” He further remarked, “It's almost appropriate to say that she's a muse for me, as she would be for designers and artists across the world. We felt that it's an honour to dress her.” The end result took over 3,000 hours of work to complete, with the garment being entirely hand-embroidered by various artisans.

Zendaya's outfit paid homage to India's signature design elements, playing up the ornate craftwork and draping that is often found within the South Asian country. Mishra emphasised that Zendaya had taken a more intentional approach, choosing to spotlight one of India's brightest fashion talents in the process, rather than simply drawing inspiration from Indian culture without involving it. “In making it, we’ve employed a number of people for all that long,” says Mishra. “This has been a nod to our core philosophy of slow fashion and the intent to empower our crafts communities.”

"I believe that Zendaya paid homage to India as a country, not only Indian fashion," continued the designer. "We’re home to a vivid culture and a diverse heritage of craftsmanship. By putting their trust in us, Law as a creative director and Zendaya as the star allowed us complete freedom to interpret the moment and create something special."

Mishra added that the trust and willingness to embrace traditional Indian dress in a respectful way made the process of dressing Zendaya a joy. "She embraced it with utmost respect and warmth and, I believe, did complete justice to the Indian culture," he said. The designer also noted that seeing Zendaya sport the design would hopefully encourage more young Indians to adopt their own cultural wear.

Dressing Zendaya is a significant accomplishment for Mishra, and puts his work on the global map. He has previously designed for Freida Pinto and Priyanka Chopra. Mishra said that walking the red carpet with Zendaya was an added bonus on the special night, calling it a memory that he would cherish forever.

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