Rajesh Pratap Singh

Rajesh Pratap Singh is an artisanal luxury fashion brand with strong Indian roots and a modern design aesthetic. Since its inception in 1997 it is recognized for extensive design and textile innovation and a deft combination of technology and tradition. Rajesh Pratap’s work epitomizes simplicity yet a closer look reveals attention to detail. His experiments with traditional techniques while incorporating a modern language give an originality to all his collections and make them modern heirlooms.

Rajesh Pratap Singh graduated from the National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi in 1994 and honed his skills working with Italian menswear label, Marzotto, for two years. However the fashion designer launched his eponymous label for men and women in 1997 only after rich experience of the fashion industry in India and Italy. 

Rajesh Pratap Singh is known for his design innovation. He has always envisioned minimalism and an understated design aesthetic with a sharp eye for detail. His exploration with fabric texture and creative usage of pin tucks has become synonymous with the label. The key to his body of work lies in simplicity, clean cuts and detailing that subtly draws from his Indian roots to craft artisanal garments. Rajesh Pratap’s reserve reflects in his styling which combines the modern with the traditional in an understated design aesthetic. His collections have a global appeal yet remain passionately Indian.

Rajesh Pratap Singh's textile repertoire extends from experimenting with Ikat weaves, handloom indigos, chanderi and Benares weaves. And his textile unit in Neemrana Rajasthan is constantly working on new handloom weaves. Per Woolmark: "Fabric making – or what he modestly terms research and development – takes up the lion’s share of his work. “I love the R&D part of my work, where I can indulge myself and at least try and make new things every day. We just want to make new things, and to have the freedom to do so,” explains the designer. While fabric was always important to Singh, over the last ten years it has become even more so because he’s started making his own."

The designer's Ajrak prints on linen as well as handloom weaves in Ikat are housed in the permanent textile and apparel archives of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and were part of the “Fabrics of India” Exhibit in 2015-16. His textile repertoire extends from experimenting with Ikat weaves, handloom indigos, chanderi and extensively Benares weaves.  And he has also developed a collection of sarees from all these regions.

Overseas.. the designer has been showcasing his collections at Paris Fashion Week. He had also undertaken costume designing for the French Opera “Padmavati by Albert Roussel”. The opera was staged at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris as well as in Spoletto in Italy. He was also the first Indian designer to be invited by Vogue Italy to do a show at Milano Unica in Milan City in 2011. And has been participating in the Pitti Uomo in Florence Italy and Tranoi in Paris.

In January 2013 Rajesh Pratap Singh was appointed as the first Woolmark Ambassador of India. Later that year he was invited by the Kingdom of Bhutan to do a show with Bhutanese fabrics for the opening of the Royal Textile Museum and his creations are now permanently housed there. He has also been collaborating with the Austrian company Lenzing for textile developments using the sustainable Tencel yarn.

In 2020 Rajesh Pratap Singh was appointed the new creative director of Satya Paul. Per Vogue: "It ushered in a new era for the iconic ’80s brand known for its bold prints and flamboyant flair. With Singh — who is known for his nuanced, pared-down aesthetic and intelligent design — at the helm, it marked a meeting of two worlds… The vision was to present modern iterations of Indian textiles while preserving homegrown craftsmanship."

Rajesh Pratap Singh has a domestic retail presence of six standalone flagship stores across the country and selected multibrand boutiques. Overseas the label retails through some select boutiques. the designer's garments have always transcended the passage of time and his design aesthetic is as relevant today as they were when created. This is the root of his sustainability philosophy.

So is it any wonder that Rajesh Pratap Singh Rajesh is a recipient of several awards in recognition of his design and creativity? He was awarded the National Award in 2019 by the Government of India for Outstanding contribution to Indian Fashion. GQ named him Man of the Year in 2018 for Sustainable Fashion. Newsweek June 2009 named Rajesh Pratap Singh as one of India’s most talented designers. 2010 saw him receive the EDIDA award from Elle Décor.

Contemporary, globally relevant and rooted in traditional Indian textile craft at the same time, Rajesh Pratap Singh’s passion for spotlighting handloom weaves through a contemporary lens has set a benchmark for the Indian fashion industry.

Rajesh Pratap Singh has always envisioned minimalism and an understated design aesthetic with a sharp eye for detail. His exploration with fabric texture and creative usage of pin tucks has become synonymous with the luxury label. The key to his body of work lies in simplicity, clean cuts and detailing.

Indian fashion designer Rajesh Pratap Singh retails menswear and womenswear handcrafted using traditional textile craft lensed with a modern design sensibility. 

"Because Medicine is the Best Laughter!" This iconic showing at India Fashion Week featured hospital beds hooked to drips on the catwalk… and began with live trippy music by Grain, Karsh Kale and Ankur Tewari. Per Explosive Fashion: 'The concept conveyed something beautiful, emotional and rich as girls staggered and traipsed down the catwalk… The minimalist black and white garments crafted from a combination of masculine and feminine fabrics and bold accessories amplified that attitude: signature hand seam detailing created dissected and reconstructed textures. The hand-sewn leather jackets had "suture seams" used in surgery and the hand-woven structured weaves created wool-ikat gingham checks, polka dots, flowers and stripes…'

Yet another spectacular showing was set against the backdrop of singers from Neemrana Music Foundation performing "Flower Duet" from the original opera, with the soprano notes blended with modern rap and beatboxing. Here saris were worn with structured jackets, sequinned dresses worn under dinner jackets and the quintessential Pratap shirt reimagined as a chromatic cocktail dress! Textiles engineered with metallic yarn and resin coating on hand woven fabrics gleamed on the catwalk. It was interesting how the narrative played with contrast — hi-tech and handloom, matte and shine, metallic and monochrome, opaque and sheer, fluidity and structure.