He is unable to think about rainbows, flowers, butterflies, this LFW he brings synthetic hair to break taboo around it, along with sequin sheeting.
By Asmita Aggarwal
Rajesh Pratap Singh in an ad for a fellow designer? Mostly it is unheard of in Indian fashion, but Pranav Misra the accidental designer from Lucknow, poet by heart managed to convince the reticent guru of minimalism, to star in his campaign Misraa. The new brand offers kurtas, a staple from the city of nawabs and Galouti kebabs, in various engaging forms.
Interestingly, it is far away from what Huemn does, you wouldn’t even imagine it is by the same person, Pranav Misra– quiet, astute observer. Poet doing horns on coats? Sounds strange!
His brand has never shied away from debating through the medium of clothes, issues which are often hushed—Kashmir conflict, landfills, fake news, recycling denim waste, casting non-binary models to “love like it’s your last time”.
His brand partner Shyama Shetty, like him is from NIFT Bangalore, in 2012, they started the label, it is largely known for if you can call it “provocative campaigns”. Their double pallu Hybrid saris are being loved just like their Chikankari-two ends of a spectrum. “Pratap is a natural, so a perfect fit. My father was a poet, wore only kurtas, Misraa my label was born out of paying homage to my roots, it was for me imperative, born with a cause. The timing felt right. It will be developed into a lifestyle brand-home to accessories in the future, maybe bags too,” he admits.
The pandemic changed him, he was doing B2B in Paris and Florence, post-covid he built a retail network in his own country. “I’m an outsider, I don’t belong to the already established style networks. Lucknow gave me a unique lens, in some ways not being part of the swish crowd is liberating. There is no burden of performance, you can be rebellious. That is what our brand reverberates with—no set formula,” he says.
He has recently turned 42, discovered various earlier hidden facets of his personality, he is now secure. “I feel comfortable taking risks not wanting to please anyone.”
On another note, there is an ease in spending money online, especially in tier 2 and 3 cities. “You will be surprised to know we get ‘experimental’ clients from Raipur, they can’t buy off the rack, so they click to spend. They look up to their heroes for inspiration, they access e-shops, e-commerce. Good returns and exchange policies are also a driving force,” he admits.
Being politically charged, the LSR protests have affected Pranav, he says, we aren’t overtly political, but as creative professionals, we participate in meaningful dialogues. “I am not a journalist, I can use the tools I know to convey my feeling,” he affirms.
His environment seeps in his clothing, his father’s death resulted in his mimicking “blood splattered’ offering, grieving for him. This LFW, surfaces have been re-reimagined. “Beauty annoys me, so we slashed and damaged it, I didn’t want it to be perfect. Even if critics don’t like my rendering, I am fine with it,” he says. His first collection in NIFT was with a cluster in Hampi, Karnataka, today craft feels very forced for him. “The story matters more to me more than the textile,” he says.
He is working with human hair, as there is such a taboo around it, he did the mud look, redefining “dirty” in 2025. “Look at the mess around, I can’t think of butterflies, flowers, rainbows, when I am living in a politically volatile place like Delhi,” he says. “I change according to what I feel, when people bracket me as edgy, I surprise them,” he says.
LFW’s Huemn brings with it beads, sequins, mix media, threadwork, he offers a dressier line, with sequin sheeting, French knots, of course synthetic hair. “Misraa, my label’s name, translates to one line to make a couplet, as well as numerologically and astrologically easily defined. But for me in the end the wearer is most important,” he concludes.