Indian fashion designer Rahul Mishra has presented couture pieces embroidered with the "geometry of human dwellings" for his latest collection at Paris Couture Week.The Spring 2025 show took place in the French capital on January 27, with the soundtrack to Carl Sagan's spoken word essay, The Pale Blue Dot, echoing in the background.Rahul Mishra has presented his latest couture collectionThe essay is Sagan's reflection on an image of the Earth taken from billions of miles away by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft. The 37-piece collection, predominantly in black and gold, was not only informed by the spoken word essay but also named after it.The show began with a series of sculptural glittery looks in black, including capes and gowns adorned with three-dimensional structures resembling cityscapes.The show took place in Paris"This collection emerges from the fear that 'in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves'," explained Mishra, referencing Sagan's work."In the wake of my father's passing last month, I have been repeatedly confronted with the realisation that we are but a speck in the grand scheme of the cosmos small, fragile, and not in control," he continued."Fluctuating between the highs and lows of his illness 'the aggregate of our joy and suffering' I reflected on how every memory we have ever made, of friends, family, and foes, exists here and only here, on this 'mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam'."Sculptural forms adorned a little black dressThe opening look featured a floor-length cape covered in pyramidal structures mimicking skyscrapers, hand-embroidered in thread and sequin work.Subsequent ensembles included a midi dress covered in similar pyramidal skyscrapers and a little black dress embroidered with a cityscape.Read: The Fabricant and Toni Maticevski design unisex "digi-couture" garment informed by sea urchins"When we begin to consider the intelligence of a species, it is often based on how they build their habitats,"commented Mishra."Our modern cities, though, are remarkable nests symbols of our ingenuity, inventions, and engineering reshaping the face of the Earth and determining our collective fate," he continued."Yet, as our ways of living grow increasingly unsustainable, I imagine how it might be if humanity paused to reflect seriously on our future. What happens to these cities when they are abandoned when they become uninhabitable for us?"The collection was informed by Carl Sagan's spoken word essayAnother look displayed a dress with its bodice covered in skyscrapers emerging from the waistline, extending beyond the neckline to create a curved silhouette.Mishra remarked that he finds himself "descending into hope, trusting that nature will show us the way"."Perhaps, in time, we will embrace a humbler existence, and nature will begin to reclaim the concrete jungles we have built," he continued."This collection is born of loss and the slow process of healing. It envisions our foreseeable future through rearview mirrors and paints vivid images of wild animals reclaiming our homes as their own."Only black and gold were used for the collectionThe skyscraper-adorned looks were followed by ensembles covered in large reflective dots, including a dress embroidered with the warning "objects in the mirror are closer than they appear".The closing looks, predominantly in gold, signified a more positive outlook."The glorious geometry of human dwellings transforms into new life, emerging from the womb an evocative metaphor for my hope that humans will indeed find the wisdom to enhance the meaning of our lives," said Mishra.Over 2000 fashion workers created the collectionThe Pale Blue Dot collection was created by Mishra's team of over 2000 fashion workers."Our deliberate, measured processes not only provide sustainable employment but also allow us to slow down the consumption of natural resources," said Mishra.The dark pieces gave way to golden ensemblesMishra's atelier is based in Noida, located in the National Capital Region of India. In 2020, Mishra became the first Indian designer to be invited to showcase at the Paris Couture Week.Previously at Paris Couture Week, Schiaparelli presented a collection of gowns decorated with wild animal heads and Viktor & Rolf displayed a set of rotated ballgowns.The photography is by Valerio Mezzanotti/NOWFASHION.The post Rahul Mishra adorns couture pieces with skyscrapers at Paris Couture Week appeared first on Dezeen.