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Indian Top Fashion Designer Talks About His Career Spanning More Than a Decade

Indian Top Fashion Designer Talks About His Career Spanning More Than a Decade

Celebrated designer Manish Malhotra talks with Chahak Mittal on his 13-year-old journey.

How has the fashion sensibility on ceremonial lines and wedding couture undergone a change in India?

The industry is seeing a fundamental transformation in today’s day and age in the way we create, consume and communicate about fashion. Luxury is today as much about the experience or the story as it is about the product.

The wedding market has evolved a lot over the years through styling in movies showcasing modernity of Indian clothes and the growing digital advancements that have now made the world a much flatter place. Brides are also changing their styles; they want more contemporary, versatile and bespoke designs and lean towards bold colours, silhouettes and styles for a diversified look. Also for grooms, while the options still remain a bandhgalasherwani and kurtas, we see them experimenting a lot more with the overall look that is a combination of colours, texture, appliqués and drape of fabric.

The direction of my label is representative of a new movement in the world of Indian fashion, where the aesthetic mixes the functional with the beautiful and is more comfort-driven and highly wearable.

How is the blend of Indian textiles and Western silhouettes bringing about a change in the Indian fashion sense?

The new generation is much more vocal with their opinions on craftsmanship and designs we showcase or the national and international influencers we dress. The consumer landscape is truly changing, all thanks to social media. Constructive modern silhouettes highlight the traditional vibe. Women are pairing crop tops, capes, corsets and blouses with lehengas, shararas andpants to embrace utility and comfort in style. I attribute this to the blending of the old with the new. Individuality is in vogue and people today are more receptive to dressing according to their personality and mixing trends and global influences in fashion.

Fabrics, from being a hierarchical symbol, have evolved to be recognised as art. What is your take on this?

Handloom has taken centre stage in the Indian fashion industry and sustainability is back to becoming a lifestyle choice. The growing impact of social media has enabled consumers to contribute to this conscious effort and share the need for sustaining and reviving our heritage textiles and crafts across a global platform. My designs too are a tribute to the quintessential Indian aesthetic as seen through a contemporary lens. I have always believed fashion to be a form of art that celebrates people and thus, a culture. The vision, narrative, skill and intricacy that goes behind crafting each piece of a Manish Malhotra garment is done to celebrate the one who is wearing it. People today are extremely well-travelled and focussed on ethics of going back to their roots to opt for more traditional fabrics with a contemporary twist.

Needless to say, these crafts are finding form in everyday wardrobes as well as formal and traditional outfits. From saris crafted in handwoven textiles to details by way of hand-embroidery and embellishment techniques, our handicrafts have a very versatile and global appeal.

You have maintained your connect with films, styling for Jhanvi Kapoor in Dhadak. Do films impact fashion or is it the other way around?

Hindi cinema has always been a huge fashion influencer for people across boundaries through the decades. I recall, when the concept of styling was non-existent in the industry, that is where I saw the opportunity to merge my twin passion of design and films. Today, I am so proud of my contribution to movies and what in turn it did for me. As a child when I used to watch films, I think it only steered and made me believe in the direction I wanted to take in life. Of course, it started with the movies, but I wanted to take my creativity beyond the silver screen.

When I started my label, 13 years ago, Indian fashion was still fledgling; the industry made clothes and did not tell the stories that went into their making. It took a few years for our economy to open up. People have started travelling more and exploring many more options to enrich their lifestyles. We have left the norm of austerity behind and had just started embracing aesthetics that helped us to express ourselves. And that is when I realised that I had the wonderful opportunity and time to carve my own niche.

As far as I knew, I wasn’t creating fashion, I was finding and presenting ways that accentuated a fashion-lover’s personality.

What is the biggest thing that you stand for and support as a designer?

From the very beginning, I was adamant that my label would not follow “trends.” We would listen to our clients and work with their preferences to devise our collections. Trends come and go; they are so transient. I would rather create pieces that are timeless and could revive our crafts, accentuate the wearer’s confidence and let them enjoy.

What is your biggest source of inspiration?

I derive a lot of inspiration from old-world charm. The beauty of older films, old architecture and so on hold a special place in my mood-boards. This, combined with a sense of opulence and glamour in the detailing, sum up the design prism of my label.

Writer: Chahak Mittal

Courtesy: The Pioneer

Indian Top Fashion Designer Talks About His Career Spanning More Than a Decade

Indian Top Fashion Designer Talks About His Career Spanning More Than a Decade

Celebrated designer Manish Malhotra talks with Chahak Mittal on his 13-year-old journey.

How has the fashion sensibility on ceremonial lines and wedding couture undergone a change in India?

The industry is seeing a fundamental transformation in today’s day and age in the way we create, consume and communicate about fashion. Luxury is today as much about the experience or the story as it is about the product.

The wedding market has evolved a lot over the years through styling in movies showcasing modernity of Indian clothes and the growing digital advancements that have now made the world a much flatter place. Brides are also changing their styles; they want more contemporary, versatile and bespoke designs and lean towards bold colours, silhouettes and styles for a diversified look. Also for grooms, while the options still remain a bandhgalasherwani and kurtas, we see them experimenting a lot more with the overall look that is a combination of colours, texture, appliqués and drape of fabric.

The direction of my label is representative of a new movement in the world of Indian fashion, where the aesthetic mixes the functional with the beautiful and is more comfort-driven and highly wearable.

How is the blend of Indian textiles and Western silhouettes bringing about a change in the Indian fashion sense?

The new generation is much more vocal with their opinions on craftsmanship and designs we showcase or the national and international influencers we dress. The consumer landscape is truly changing, all thanks to social media. Constructive modern silhouettes highlight the traditional vibe. Women are pairing crop tops, capes, corsets and blouses with lehengas, shararas andpants to embrace utility and comfort in style. I attribute this to the blending of the old with the new. Individuality is in vogue and people today are more receptive to dressing according to their personality and mixing trends and global influences in fashion.

Fabrics, from being a hierarchical symbol, have evolved to be recognised as art. What is your take on this?

Handloom has taken centre stage in the Indian fashion industry and sustainability is back to becoming a lifestyle choice. The growing impact of social media has enabled consumers to contribute to this conscious effort and share the need for sustaining and reviving our heritage textiles and crafts across a global platform. My designs too are a tribute to the quintessential Indian aesthetic as seen through a contemporary lens. I have always believed fashion to be a form of art that celebrates people and thus, a culture. The vision, narrative, skill and intricacy that goes behind crafting each piece of a Manish Malhotra garment is done to celebrate the one who is wearing it. People today are extremely well-travelled and focussed on ethics of going back to their roots to opt for more traditional fabrics with a contemporary twist.

Needless to say, these crafts are finding form in everyday wardrobes as well as formal and traditional outfits. From saris crafted in handwoven textiles to details by way of hand-embroidery and embellishment techniques, our handicrafts have a very versatile and global appeal.

You have maintained your connect with films, styling for Jhanvi Kapoor in Dhadak. Do films impact fashion or is it the other way around?

Hindi cinema has always been a huge fashion influencer for people across boundaries through the decades. I recall, when the concept of styling was non-existent in the industry, that is where I saw the opportunity to merge my twin passion of design and films. Today, I am so proud of my contribution to movies and what in turn it did for me. As a child when I used to watch films, I think it only steered and made me believe in the direction I wanted to take in life. Of course, it started with the movies, but I wanted to take my creativity beyond the silver screen.

When I started my label, 13 years ago, Indian fashion was still fledgling; the industry made clothes and did not tell the stories that went into their making. It took a few years for our economy to open up. People have started travelling more and exploring many more options to enrich their lifestyles. We have left the norm of austerity behind and had just started embracing aesthetics that helped us to express ourselves. And that is when I realised that I had the wonderful opportunity and time to carve my own niche.

As far as I knew, I wasn’t creating fashion, I was finding and presenting ways that accentuated a fashion-lover’s personality.

What is the biggest thing that you stand for and support as a designer?

From the very beginning, I was adamant that my label would not follow “trends.” We would listen to our clients and work with their preferences to devise our collections. Trends come and go; they are so transient. I would rather create pieces that are timeless and could revive our crafts, accentuate the wearer’s confidence and let them enjoy.

What is your biggest source of inspiration?

I derive a lot of inspiration from old-world charm. The beauty of older films, old architecture and so on hold a special place in my mood-boards. This, combined with a sense of opulence and glamour in the detailing, sum up the design prism of my label.

Writer: Chahak Mittal

Courtesy: The Pioneer

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