Rohan Mirza's work can be distinguished by its uncanny silhouettes and prosthetic adornments, mutating the wearer's human features into those of a mythological being. In our conversation, we touched on these sublime references together with what lies in store for his utopian future.

Could you introduce yourself to our readers? Tell us about what prompted you to become a designer and the early days of your career.

Hiiii!!! My name is Rohan Mirza, I'm a 20-year-old, fashion student at Duperré in Paris. My work is mainly focused on 3D and 3D printing. In high school, I studied science and I think part of that education has stayed with me today in my creative process... I've always loved technology, innovation and everything about the future.

The idea of becoming a designer came to me quite spontaneously. I had a basic project to study psychiatry, but it was not until modelling that I discovered the world of fashion, and of art in general, which fascinated me! It's only really during the last lockdown that I was able to develop my style. I spent my whole day watching tutorials on 3D design, trying to understand how it all works. The funny thing is that I bought my 3D printer before I had even used Blender. I think it’s what kept me hooked and focused on the learning process.

How would you describe your unique, transcendental style?

My style is a mix of cyberpunk and fantasy — where angels meet computers — lots of fairies — but also lots of aliens. I think this style is constantly evolving; that's the whole point of creation.

Some time ago, me and my friend Eliott decided to work together to create something more ambitious, more creative: the goal being to touch the garment and not be satisfied with the accessories. Working in a group is an essential value for me, that's why I love collaborating. I enjoy discovering how others work and ultimately, how we can work together. I'm looking forward to presenting this new project which will be an evolution of my work.

Where do you find your inspiration? Who, or what, are your current muses?

I'm very inspired by science fiction, video games, anime... anything digital. When I was younger my mother gave me the book 'Ready Player One' by Ernest Cline and it became a kind of bible for me. I was educated in geek pop culture with this book, which is still very inspiring for me. On the other hand, I think music is quite important; the techno/rave scene inspires me a lot. They are places of incredible freedom where human voices almost don't exist - it's all about vibrations and digital sounds. I think the movie 'Blade' sums up this SFX/techno mix very well. I'm also a big fan of (French) rap and the new wave of young artists that I identify with. They propose experimental, innovative, futuristic music. I think of people like La Feve, Khali, Wintterzuko, Laylow... who are very talented and that everyone should listen to!

I love Gaspar Noé's films, which for me are the strongest horror films ever, I advise everyone to watch Climax, which is a masterpiece of psychological horror cinema. It's all these underground worlds that I try to explore and transcribe in my work. I don't think I have any particular muses in the true sense of the word... I identify muses within all the people around me, my friends, my family, new people I meet and who inspire me, with whom I share.

Your Instagram bio reads: “Roro thinks about how the future will look and fuck this looks nice”… Could you elaborate on this? What are your visions for the future?

I'm so glad you mentioned this bio - I love it! During our last year of high school, me and a group of friends organised an up-cycled fashion show for charity. After working on it for a year, we all left for the summer and Raphael (a friend) sent us a letter with this sentence written on it, since then it's become my bio.

I think it sums up perfectly the vision I have of my work, that my art is in constant evolution, and that in the future it can only improve, become more complex, and mutate. The basis of my work is to create the silhouette of the future. I like to envision the future as a positive period where humanity has faced its problems and made progression required to become its most powerful civilisation yet. It's probably verging on utopian, but I love it.

Your design aesthetic is a unique one that embraces the future both literally and metaphorically, but to what extent is there still a place for traditional techniques and craftsmanship? I still think there is space for craftsmanship. I think it's time to combine the techniques of the digital with the traditional... or at least that's the route I'd like to take in the future: to succeed in creating clothes integrating 3D models in a portable and fashionable way - no longer just art but clothing that can be worn.

Today, 3D printing and modelling allow us to break the traditional pattern of object/clothing production. By modelling a garment in 3D, we limit our toiles and change our patterns instantly, each step becomes automated and it is this ecosystem that represents the future for me. It's therefore not a question of forgetting traditional techniques, more so improving them.

Talk us through a project that you have worked on from initial idea to finished piece.

To combine 3D and clothing I will tell you about the "squid" trousers from my "from abyss" micro-collection. The aim of this project was to explore the deep sea, to reflect on what inhabits these waters that we don't know, to bring these abyssal creatures to the human scale. The trousers are inspired by the "vampire squid" creature that I transposed onto a pair of trousers, with texture and shape work inspired by the creature's veins and mouth.

For the pattern work, I first of all simulated it in 3D, to ensure I could then reproduce it on a toile, with the intention that if everything fits, I can then cut it directly using the final material. In the construction of complex patterns, the simulation makes a lot of the work easier.

You are well known for creating supremely exaggerated prosthetic jewellery that resembles more of a parabolic creature than a human, what inspires these unearthly designs?

I think I'm still very much at the amateur stage when it comes to 3D, every time I learn something, another tutorial appears, and it's often this new learning that inspires me. I try to put into practice what I've learnt and it's very interesting... 3D software is infinite so it's going to last a long time! But as far as aesthetic inspirations are concerned I often refer to mythological or real creatures. It's usually unconscious because I only realise it afterwards, but it's like a mix of real and unreal.

If you had to replace your body with that of an animal or a mythological creature, what would you go for and why?

I love the character of the vampire, aesthetically and in terms of clothing he gives off something strong and his variations in pop culture are very present. His relationship with blood is super mysterious and fascinating…and he is close to the bat which I also love!

What are your thoughts on the viability of 3D printing as a form for fashion manufacturing? Where do you see the field of 3D printing and fashion in 5 years?

I think that 3D printing is going to be more and more common in fashion, we often say that fashion is stuck in a continuous loop, here we have the opportunity to break it, to recreate a new branch with still very little explored! Every year the machines get bigger and bigger, and the computers more and more powerful... I hope that within 5 years these two environments can form a new one. 3D printing is a way to bring any idea to life, it allows us to bring complex digital objects to the physical in as little as a few hours.