Manish Arora is an Indian

fashion designer Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

based in

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

. In early 2011, he was appointed creative director of the womenswear collection of the French fashion house

Paco Rabanne Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo (born 18 February 1934), more commonly known under the pseudonym of Paco Rabanne (; ), is a Spanish fashion designer who became known as an ''enfant terrible'' of the 1960s French fashion world. Early life and educati ...

, although he left the company in May 2012. Born and brought up in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

, Manish was studying, when he decided to change his career path and applied for the

National Institute of Fashion Technology National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is an autonomous institute that offers courses in fashion, designing, technology, and management. Its head office is located in New Delhi, India. History NIFT was established in 1986 under the M ...

. He graduated in 1994 after winning the Best Student Award.

Career

In 1997, Manish launched his own label ''"Manish Arora"'' and started retailing in India. Three years later, he participated in the first-ever

India Fashion Week India Fashion Week is a bi-annual fashion week organized and promoted by the Fashion Design Council of India. It was sponsored by Wills Lifestyle from 2006–2014 before Amazon.in became the sponsor. The first event in 2000 featured the work ...

held in New Delhi and represented India at the Hong Kong Fashion Week. Arora launched his second label, ''"Fish Fry"'', in 2001. This sportswear-styled line was created in association with the athletic apparel manufacturer

Reebok Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...

. In 2002, Manish opened his first flagship store, ''Manish Arora Fish Fry'', in New Delhi and in the following year opened a second store in Mumbai. Another successful showing at

(2003) led to a stocking deal with the fashion house Maria Luisa (Paris) and the beginning of a successful export business. During 2004, he was awarded the ''Best Women's Prêt Designer'' at the first ever Indian Fashion Awards' 2004 held in

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

and MC2 Diffusion Paris started representing the label for the export business. The following year, Manish participated in the

Miami Fashion Week Miami Fashion Week (MIAFW) is an annual fashion week held in Miami, Florida, United States. Miami Fashion Week, not to be confused with the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami or Miami Swim Week, takes place every year the first week of June. Miami ...

in May 2005 where he was presented with the designer's choice for Best Collection Award. He had a successful debut at the

London Fashion Week London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London twice a year, in February and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fashion wee ...

in September 2005 and received an overwhelming response from the press as well as the buyers. He opened a new store at Lodhi Colony Market in New Delhi in December 2005. Arora exhibited some of his work at the

Victoria & Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

in London for an exhibition called ''"Global Local"'' in association with the British Council, India. A fashion jury in a leading Indian publication ''Outlook'' designated him "Best Indian Fashion Designer" and featured him on the cover of its March 2006 issue. Manish opened his first Manish Arora franchise store in Villa Moda,

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

and another ''Manish Arora Fish Fry'' store at Crescent at The Qutub, New Delhi in 2006. In 2007, the first ''Fish Fry for Reebok'' concept store opened at the

Garden of Five Senses The Garden of Five Senses is a park in Delhi, India. Spread over 20 acres, the park is located in Saidul Ajaib village, opposite Saket, near the Mehrauli heritage area. Designed by Delhi architect, Pradeep Sachdeva, the park was developed by D ...

, New Delhi, and Arora teamed up with make-up and cosmetics company MAC for designing a signature collection. He has also collaborated with

Swatch Swatch is a Swiss watchmaker founded in 1983 by Ernst Thomke, Elmar Mock, and Jacques Müller. It is a subsidiary of The Swatch Group. The Swatch product line was developed as a response to the "quartz crisis" of the 1970s and 1980s, in which i ...

for a limited edition of watches. In 2008, once again, Reebok launched the 'RBK Fish Fry Collection 2008', a lifestyle range designed by Manish Arora. ''"Indian by Manish Arora"'', a brand designed for the growing Indian market for women's wear, is licensed to another fashion company. Manish was invited to show his collection at the ''“Fashion in Motion”'' exhibition held at

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in September 2007. By 2009, Manish owned four stores in India and sold his collections to more than 80 retailers worldwide. The designer has also entered into a joint venture with

BIBA Apparels Biba Apparels is an Indian fashion brand for women and girls founded by Meena Bindra in 1988 in New Delhi. It has more than 150 brand outlets and 225 multi-brand outlets. Biba recorded sales of INR 600 crore in 2014-15. History In 1982, Meen ...

Pvt. Ltd. to further expand the label. In 2012, Arora previewed his jewellery line in association with label

Amrapali Āmrapālī, also known as "Ambapālika", "Ambapali", or "Amra" was a celebrated ''nagarvadhu'' (royal courtesan) of the republic of Vaishali (located in present-day Bihar) in ancient India around 500 BC. Following the Buddha's teachings, she b ...

comprising a range of hand jewellery, neckpieces and pendants. Some of his work was displayed at the

, in the Fabric of India 2014-15 Exhibition.

Style

Manish Arora is regarded by many as "the

John Galliano John Charles Galliano (born 28 November 1960) is a British fashion designer from Gibraltar. He was the creative director of his eponymous label John Galliano and French fashion houses Givenchy and Dior. Since 2014, Galliano has been the creat ...

of India". He is known for his psychedelic colour palette and kitsch motifs in garments that combine traditional Indian crafts like embroidery, appliqué and beading with Western silhouettes.

References

External links

Manish Arora's website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arora, Manish Indian male fashion designers Living people Artists from Delhi Indian LGBT artists LGBT fashion designers National Institute of Fashion Technology alumni People from New Delhi 21st-century Indian designers Year of birth missing (living people) Fashion labels from India

Career

Style

See also

References

External links