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Model in a Manish Arora design (Spring 2007 collection) at London Fashion Week

Manish Arora is an Indian fashion designer based in New Delhi whose collections have been shown in London Fashion Week for four season since his debut in 2005, and went on to show at Paris Fashion Week for the Autumn/Winter 2007-08 and continues to show there each season., and in India, where he has five five flagship stores, in Delhi and Mumbai ^[1][2][3].

Manish Arora the fashion desinger is regarded by many as "the John Galliano of India",^[4], Manish is an alumni of National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi, he started his eponymous label in 1997, and today he is known for a rich palette of psychedelic colours and kitsch motifs, in garments that combine traditional Indian crafts like embroidery, appliqué and beading with Western silhouettes.^[5]. Today his label is available in 84 stores worldwide, and for the last five years he has collaborated with sportswear giant Reebok to produce the successful 'Fish Fry' line.^[6]

[edit] Early life and education

Born and brought in Bombay^{[citation needed]}, (now Mumbai), Manish was studying to graduate in Commerce, when he decided to change his career path, and applied for National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi and passed out in in 1994, after winning the Best Student Award^[1]

[edit] Career

Model in a Manish Arora design (Spring 2007 collection) at London Fashion Week

In 1997 Manish Arora launched his label "Manish Arora" and started retailing in India. Three years later in 2000, Manish represented India at the Hong Kong Fashion Week and participated at the first ever India Fashion Week held in New Delhi. The following year Manish launched his second label, "Fish Fry", and showed this collection in six leading cities in India and was stocked at Lord & Taylor, New York.

During 2002 Manish opened his first flagship store, Manish Arora Fish Fry, in New Delhi and in 2003 opened his second flagship store in the commercial capital of India, Mumbai. He had a successful showing at India Fashion Week in Mumbai and started stocking at Maria Luisa Paris starting 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 and MC2 Diffusion Paris started representing the label for the export business. The following year Manish participated in the Miami Fashion Week 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 in September 2005 and received an overwhelming response from the press as well as the buyers. Manish Arora also collaborated with Reebok to design a collection of shoes under the brand Fish Fry for Reebok.

He opened his flagship store in December 2005 at Lodhi Colony Market in New Delhi. Arora exhibited some of his work at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London for an exhibition called "Global Local" in association with the British Council, India.

In 2006 he confirmed himself to be a fashion designer of great potential during his second showing in February, receiving rave reviews from coveted fashion journalists like Hilary Alexander, Suzy Menkes, and Lisa Armstrong in all the leading publications. He is stocked at 75 well known stores worldwide, including Harrods, Dover StreetMarket, Maria Luisa and Saks Dubai.^[5]

A coveted fashion jury in a leading Indian publication OUTLOOK adjudged him to be the 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 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, New Delhi, and Arora teamed up with make-up and cosmetics giant MAC for designing a signature collection. He has also collaborated with Swatch for a limited edition of watches. In 2008, once again, Reebok launched the 'RBK Fish Fry Collection 2008', an exclusive 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 reputed fashion company. Manish was invited to show his collection at the very prestigious “Fashion in Motion” held at Victoria and Albert Museum, London in September 2007.^[1]

Manish will be showing his Spring/Summer -2008 collection during the Paris Fashion Week.

[edit] See also

• Delhi Fashion Week
• National Institute of Fashion Technology

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Manish Arora

• Manish Arora's website
• "Photographs from Manish Arora catwalk show at the V&A.". Fashion, Jewellery & Accessories. Victoria and Albert Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/fashion_motion/manish_arora/index.html. Retrieved 2007-10-20.