Rathore’s 1200 years of ancestry

Intro .01

Born and brought up in the epicenter of heritage and tradition in the ancient city of Jodhpur, designer Raghavendra Rathore knows only too well the value of ‘Brand India’. His traditional upbringing and training of his craft at the Parsons School of Design in New York gave him the international edge, the experience and the insight to create the right mix of aesthetics, craft and heritage in the products that he designs that work globally.

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An advertisement feature in the FINANCIAL TIMES OF INDIA, the newspaper selected Rathore, to show the diversity of its readers.

Born in the desert town of Jodhpur.

Raised in the Zenana.

Survived 105 bombs during the Pakistan war.

Sanskrit shloka reciter. Spiritualist.

State swimmer. Electronic genius.

Inventor of interactive robots.

Vintage car restorer.

Studied astronomy, Greek mythology,

modern American fiction & design.

Created art from junk. Sold it for $ 8000

Hotelier. Chocolatier. Welder. Carpenter.

Interior designer. Lifestyle merchant.

Owner of two fashion labels.

Has assisted Donna Karan and Oscar de la Renta

dressed and designed for some of the most affluent people in the world.

as printed by THE TIMES OF INDIA

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Designer Profile .02

The experience of living in Manhattan, while studying and researching Design was more than a dictionary of ideas. Re-calibrating to the American sensibilities and esthetics was a challenge for a person from Jodhpur.

Understanding the shades of pastels over the rich overtures of the Rajasthan color palette and creating it into a USP by offering that richness back to the consumer became a part of Rathore’s portfolio that set him apart from the rest in context to Fashion.

Donna Karen hired him from a graduating class of 120 pupils in his graduating class to work for her as an assistant designer for the sportswear division DKNY.

He was then offered an opening at the high design atelier of Oscar de la Renta, 70 sketches a day with house models always standing by for any fetish the designer would like to drape on them. Rathore became the youngest designer at the atelier sending shock waves in the 7th avenue circuit.

Paris became a permanent vocation as Oscar de la Renta became took over as the head designer at the couture house of Pierre Balmain, in Paris. These years were special as he spent time in the heart of the fashion capital learning the ropes, sedating the press and wooing all the lunching ladies of Paris, to promote the new vision of Mr. De la Renta for Pierre Balmain.

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Education .03

He studied at Parsons School of Design in New York. Immediately after graduation in 1992, Rathore gained experience working with prominent Manhattan labels including Donna Karan, Bill Blass and Oscar de la Renta. This exposure enabled him to refine his design knowledge before setting up his own label, ‘Rathore’ back in India. Rathore has been in the design and innovative concepts realization business, for the past nine years.

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Designing .04

Mixing old-fashioned workmanship with modern aplomb, Rathore finds newer, subtler ways to evoke the spirit of a by-gone age with a fresher approach. Splitting time between home in Jodhpur and work, he is always on the move working on assignments and projects all around the globe. Working in various mediums such as Lifestyle & Home, Interior & furnishing design, Outdoor Iron & Wood Furniture Design, Fashion Design and now gourmet products, he works towards setting newer standards in the design frontier.