Royal designer Raghavendra Rathore to conduct design school talk in Dubai

Raghavendra Rathore is the man men turn to when they want an attire that’s at once traditional and suave.

The Indian designer, who launched the prestigious Gurukul School of Design in his home state of Rajasthan in August 2018, will be in Dubai on Wednesday, October 16, to talk to aspiring design students about the institute and its offerings.

Textile, interiors and product design are all subjects contained in the four-year bachelor of design programme at GSD. Year one exposes students to various disciplines – from art and architecture to communication and marketing – within the sphere of fashion and design.

Year two is the time to choose your strength, with specialised modules such as apparel construction, creativity & draping, dyeing & print, and footwear & bags.

Year three provides in-depth knowledge to master your talent, and includes bespoke tailoring, space design & furnishing, and jewellery design. The final year is project-based and helps students design and showcase their creative work, so they are armed with a solid portfolio upon graduation.

The Rathore label aside, GSD also benefits from the vast expertise of Amrapali, India’s most famous heritage jewellery brand, which came on board last year.

“The Gurukul School of Design’s vision is unique, as are the partners who choose to join in bringing about a change in how design is taught in India,” says Rathore of the partnership. “We need a revolution in how graduating students can change the landscape by bringing an entrepreneurial spirit with good understanding of design while using local and global resources,” he adds.

From dressing Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Ranbir Kapoor to designing the costumes for Pakistani actor Fawad Khan for the film Khoobsurat, Prince Raghavendra Rathore is a seasoned celebrity designer.

Rathore was born into the royal family of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. He attended university in the United States, where he took courses in anthropology, robotics and philosophy. These acted as the unexpected foundation for his future career as a designer. “Electronics and robotics teach you logic, whereas the arts accentuate the idea of creativity,” Rathore tells The National.

In 1992, he enrolled at Parsons School of Design in New York. Upon graduating, he worked as an assistant to both Donna Karan and Oscar de la Renta, before returning to India to launch his eponymous fashion label.

The label’s aim is to bring elements of traditional Indian menswear back in fashion, repackaged to appeal to a globalised client; for instance, Rathore is credited with repopularising the majestic bandhgala coat - a tailored suit jacket or vest with a high collar.