Raghavendra Singh Rathore, popularly known as the “King of Bandhgala”, is an Indian lifestyle designer who holds the exclusive rights to Bandhgala jackets and Jodhpuris. Rathore is one of India’s leading luxury fashion designers who also designs jewellery, accessories, interiors and/or other products.
Wiki/Biography
Raghavendra Singh Rathore was born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan on Saturday, October 7, 1967 (age 54 years 2021) under the zodiac sign of Libra. Rathore, of Jodhpur, attended Mayo College boarding school in Ajmer from 1976 to 1986 after the local school in his hometown was destroyed in the 1971 Indo-Pak war when he was four or five. Finished school. Raghavendra holds a BA in Art and Philosophy from Marlboro College, Vermont, USA (1987-1989). He then went on to graduate in electronics and robotics from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Raghavendra completed his studies as a BA at Parsons School of Design, The New School in New York from 1989 to 1992.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′10″
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Raghavendra Rathore belongs to the royal family of Jodhpur. His great-grandfather, Sri Sardar Singh, was the best-dressed monarch of his time, serving as the Maharaja of Jodhpur from 1895 to 1911. He is credited with popularizing the Jodhpur-style safa (headdress) and Achkan is famous.
Raghavendra Rathore’s great-grandfather Sri Sardar Singh, Maharaja of Jodhpur
Raghavendra’s grandfather, Major General Ajit Singh, is famous for his Ajit Bhawan Palace built in 1927. His grandmother, Queen Sajjan Kanwar of Jodhpur, was the sister of the Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Man Singh II. Raghavendra’s cousin is His Highness Sri Gaji Singh II, the Maharaja of Jodhpur.
Raghavendra Rathore’s cousin HH Maharaja Gaj Singhji II of Jodhpur
Parents and siblings
His father, the late Maharaja Swaroop Singh, who died in 2003, was an MLA from Jodhpur’s rural Luni district. Raghavendra’s mother Rani Usha Singh Rathore belonged to the royal lineage of Alairal-Bijapur.
Raghavendra Rathore’s parents
He has a brother, Suryaveer Singh Rathore, who is a collector and a renowned hotelier, known for founding Khaas Bagh.
Suryaveer Singh Rathore, brother of Raghavendra Rathore
wife and children
Raghavendra married Kavita Rathore in February 2001. Kavita is the daughter of Thakur Uday Bahn Singh of Nana. Speaking about his marriage in an interview, Rathore said,
After getting married I found myself more focused and in tune. Kavita did an excellent job adjusting me. It feels good to be back in the lair now. “
Raghavendra Rathore and his wife
The couple has a son Amar and a daughter Devyani.
Relationships/Affairs
Rathore was allegedly in a relationship with Arjun Rampal’s ex-wife and former Miss India Mel Jessia. She is an Indian supermodel and choreographer.
Profession
first few years
Raghavendra began interning under Donna Karan at DKNY in Manhattan in 1992, shortly after graduating from Parsons School of Design. While working there, he met the famous Dominican designer Oscar de la Renta in an elevator. Rathore said his interactions with la Renta eventually landed him a job as a senior associate at the global fashion house; however, it wasn’t until the famed designer hired Raghavendra to design Pierre Balmain’s couture house that Raghavendra landed his big break. breakthrough. Raghu worked with la Renta for two years before returning to his hometown of Jodhpur. After living in the United States for more than a decade, Raghavendra returned to his hometown of Jodhpur in 1994, where his cousin, the Maharaja of Jodhpur HH Gaj Singh II, invited him to hold a fashion show in the city. Rathore accepted the invitation and organized a fashion show in just a few months with the help of well-known Indian designers such as Tarun Tahiliani and Rohit Bal.
Label
In the same year, Raghavendra returned home and launched his custom multi-faceted designer label ‘Raghavendra Rathore Jodhpur (RR)’ with a small store in New Delhi. The luxury fashion brand, known internationally as “Inde Pret”, initially focused on menswear and has since expanded into womenswear, children’s wear, jewelry design, interior design and consulting. In 2012, his RR brand became the first Indian fashion brand to hold exclusive patent rights for Jodhpuris and Bandhgala Jackets. The royal designer said of his brand in an interview:
When I started doing Bandhgala, it was very primitive. It looks boxy and has huge armholes. We started fixing it and syncing it. Once we were satisfied, we obtained the copyright for the Jodhpur Bandhgala pattern. “
At the Summer/Resort 2015 show at Lakme Fashion Week (LFW), Raghavendra launched his new ready-to-wear, men-centric designer brand called Imperial India Company (IIC). Apparently, IIC is a humanitarian initiative by Rathore to promote rural handicrafts in partnership with its custom menswear brand. Rathore said the IIC through Raghavendra Rathore Foundation uses handlooms and fabrics to help provide adequate job opportunities to weavers and NGOs.
Other companies
The prince also founded an NGO called ‘Raghavendra Rathore Foundation’ which, according to Raghu, works towards making poor workers and artisans self-reliant by utilizing local resources, arts and crafts. In 2018, Raghavendra established India’s first design school, The Gurukul Design School of Design, in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The institute, established in partnership with Amrapali Jewels, offers a four-year bachelor’s degree program in design. Raghavendra Rathore Jodhpur brand also collaborated with Italian luxury fashion brand Ermenegildo Zegna and Reliance Industries Group in 2018. Under the deal, the two partners each bought a 12.5% stake in Mr Rathore’s Future 101 Design, Mr Rathore’s parent company. Label. Raghavendra’s fashion label has entered the international market with a first-ever collaboration between a European luxury goods group and an Indian menswear brand.
dispute
Virat Kohli reception outfit
In 2017, Raghavendra and another Indian designer Sabyasachi both claimed to have designed the bandhgala for Virat Kohli’s reception function. Sabyasachi posted the same on his Instagram; however, he quickly realized the mistake after Rathore pointed it out and immediately deleted the post and posted a new post on Instagram apologizing.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- In 2011, then Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot paid tribute to Rathore and awarded him a government recognition, for the first time in the state’s history, in his honor For its contribution in promoting the rich heritage of Rajasthan and its culture.
- Rathore won the Designer of the Year award at the 2014 GQ Men of the Year Awards.
Raghavendra Rathore at the 2014 GQ Men of the Year Awards
- Raghavendra won the “Exquisite Art and Fashion Award” at the 21st Century British Icon Awards 2020.
Favorites
- Colors: black, white, grey, beige, navy and burgundy
- Role model: Oscar de la Renta
- Destination: Narlai, a small village between Jodhpur and Udaipur
Facts/Trivia
- The royal designer was also known as “Prince Raghu” or “Ragu”.
- Raghavendra enjoys painting in his spare time.
- The Jodhpuri-based designer is politically inclined towards the BJP.
- While studying in Vermont, USA, Raghavendra worked as basic as scraping paint off old buildings, as well as repairing and restoring vintage cars on the side while completing a year of college. His royal parents asked him to fund his education, forcing Rathore to live a “normal” life.
- The royal designer said that his journey as a lifestyle designer was inspired by the fashion sense of his grandfather’s brother, the late Maharaja of Jodhpur, Umaid Singh.
- Rathore has styled some of the biggest names from around the world including His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar, The Duchess of York – Sarah Ferguson, The King of Jaipur – Pa Maharaja Demanab Singh, Maharaja Tehri Garhwal – His Highness Maharaja Manujendra Shah, Hollywood celebrity Matthew McConaughey, Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, Virat Kohli, Mukesh Ambani, and many Bollywood celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Amitabh B. Qiang et al.
Raghavendra Rathore wears his brand with Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh
- The Indian designer has also worked for Hindi films like Eklavya and Khoobsurat, designing the costumes for the actors. Raghavendra also styled Amitabh Bachchan in Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 1. He is also credited with designing the reception area of Suryagarh, one of India’s finest luxury hotels, located in Jaisalmer.
Luxury hotel designed by Raghavendra Rathore
- The designer has more than 30 retail stores in India and abroad in areas such as Goa, New Delhi, Mumbai, Greece and Hong Kong.
- In 2019, the fashion brand “Raghavendra Rathore Jodhpur” completed 25 years of successful business.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education