Brutally honest, insightful and edgy, Manish is set to showcase a line that celebrates India!
He will tell you with a characteristic laugh, You know what my biggest weakness is? Its pink and gold. I just cant get enough of it. Unadulterated, frank and also a couturier of international fame Manish Arora has learnt that being who you are and lovin it is better than aspiring to be a not-so-convincing someone else.
But beneath that self-effacing humour is a lot of depth, maybe thats why everyone just cant wait to sign him on—whether it is his latest collaboration with BIBA, Swarovski, Reebok, MAC, Swatch to Good Earth and Nivea. I think now that I have exposed myself and said openly what my weaknesses are, I must also tell you what I am good at. And that is I am proud to be an Indian, and I showcase Indian as a jewel in the West; in a right way, it is my strongest point, he confirms with a wide grin.
A lover of all things bright, clouds, kitsch, to the Burning Man project where you are taught the power of self expression, Manish has had myriad muses in some point in time. Not many people I know, have even been to this amazing, life changing event in Nevada, The Burning Man Project. At least India bursting at its seams with a population of 1.3 billion, I really havent met anyone who has told me they have been to what was started by visionary Larry Harvey way back in 1986 with just a bonfire. It is radical, upbeat and held at the Black Rock Desert. So yes, I do think unconventionally, art is a big high for me, I draw inspiration from what I see around me. So a lot of me and my personal style, likes and dislikes get reflected in my outfits. If you come to my house you will see lots and lots of colour, I love it and it is so me, I am not ashamed of being surrounded by it, he smiles.
Calling his Couture Week collection, a commercial one and the first ever truly Indian line, (Indian by Manish), he admits he is not sure what he can really say about the modern bride. I am myself exploring, hunting, finding out what she may desire. So what can I tell you? he laughs. But yes, he will admit straight away that the line is easy-to-wear, luxurious and can be worn on various occasions, by different family members on the days leading up to the wedding day.
Finding his signature quite early in his career, Manish confesses his style is distinct, edgy and in many ways chaotic. You have prints, Swarovski, crystals, textiles, colour everything going on, in one garment. It is not deliberate, but thats how I like it. But when I say chaos, it is chaos done aesthetically, if there is anything like that, he laughs.
Couture for Manish is hand done, hand sewn, no zips, bespoke, made to measure, takes months and months to create and should be done and redone a 100 times, if needed, to fit the body it is being framed for. Because it is such an elaborate and painstaking process, even if you see the world over, there arent many couturiers left, maybe just 5-10. And being a real couturier you must be part of Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. So when we use this word, it must be in the right context following the rules and regulation that it has emerged out of. I do the prêt shows in Paris, so the Delhi Couture Week is my first Indian couture show, he says.
One look at his line and you know it looks simple in form, but dig a little deeper and you are bound to notice that it is detailed, delightful and vibrant, a lot like Manish.