Manish Arora

{{Infobox fashion designer

| name = Manish Arora

| image = Manish arora.jpg

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| nationality = Indian

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| label_name = {{hlist|Manish Arora|Fish Fry|Paco Rabanne }}

| awards =

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| occupation = Fashion designer

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File:Manisharora4.jpg

Manish Arora is an Indian fashion designer based in New Delhi. In early 2011, he was appointed creative director of the womenswear collection of the French fashion house Paco Rabanne,{{Cite journal |last1=Milligan |first1=Lauren |year=2011 |title=New Beginning |journal=Vogue |publisher=Condé Nast |issue=4 February 2011 |url=http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/110204-manish-arora-the-new-creative-direc.aspx |access-date=29 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208171708/http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/110204-manish-arora-the-new-creative-direc.aspx |archive-date=8 February 2011 |url-status=dead }} although he left the company in May 2012.{{Cite journal |last1=Wischhover |first1=Cheryl |year=2012 |title=Manish Arora Is Out At Paco Rabanne |journal=Fashionista |publisher=Breaking Media, Inc. |issue=4 May 2012 |url=http://fashionista.com/2012/05/manish-arora-is-out-at-paco-rabanne/ |access-date=7 April 2013 }}

Born and brought up in Mumbai, Manish was studying, when he decided to change his career path and applied for the National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi. He graduated in 1994 after winning the Best Student Award.

Career

File:Manisharora7.jpg

In 1997, Manish launched his own label "Manish Arora" and started retailing in India.{{cite web |url=http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/fashion_motion/manish_arora/index.html |title=Fashion in Motion: Manish Arora |date=September 2007 |publisher=Victoria and Albert Museum |access-date=29 July 2011 |archive-date=8 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110108055910/http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/fashion_motion/manish_arora/index.html |url-status=dead }} Three years later, he participated in the first-ever India Fashion Week held in New Delhi and represented India at the Hong Kong Fashion Week.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

Arora launched his second label, "Fish Fry", in 2001. This sportswear-styled line was created in association with the athletic apparel manufacturer Reebok. 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 India Fashion Week (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 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. 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 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 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 company 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', 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, London in September 2007. By 2009, Manish owned four stores in India and sold his collections to more than 80 retailers worldwide.{{Cite journal |last1=Heal |first1=Patricia |date=November 2009 |title=Dream Weaver |journal=W |publisher=Condé Nast |volume=38 |issue=11 |page=76 |url=http://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/2009/11/manish_arora |access-date=29 July 2011 }}{{Cite news |title=Where the Accent Is on Craft |author=Suzy Menkes |author-link=Suzy Menkes |newspaper=The New York Times |date=24 March 2009 |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01EEDF123BF937A15750C0A96F9C8B63&scp=3&sq=Manish%20Arora&st=cse |access-date=29 July 2011 }} The designer has also entered into a joint venture with BIBA Apparels Pvt. Ltd. to further expand the label.{{cite news|last=Rathore|first=Vijaya|title=Biba picks 51% stake in designer Manish Arora's label|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-11-07/news/34970975_1_manish-arora-brand-internal-accruals|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110130808/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-11-07/news/34970975_1_manish-arora-brand-internal-accruals|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 November 2013|access-date=4 December 2012|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=7 November 2012}}

In 2007 the designer began showing collections in Paris Fashion Week, and in 2009 Arora was inducted into the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt à Porter des Couturiers.{{Cite web |date=2020-05-07 |title=Manish Arora {{!}} BoF 500 {{!}} The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry |url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/people/manish-arora/ |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=The Business of Fashion |language=en}}

In 2012, Arora previewed his jewellery line in association with label Amrapali comprising a range of hand jewellery, neckpieces and pendants.{{cite news|title=Glittery celebrations|url=http://india.nydailynews.com/politicsarticle/7d3bd0cc6b70773f8bb01ac6e07302ae/glittery-celebrations|access-date=4 December 2012|newspaper=Daily News|date=4 December 2012}} Other collaborations include a 2008 project with MAC cosmetics and a 2009 project with Swatch,{{Cite web |title=Manish Arora, And The Making Of Kitschy Cool |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/live/manish-arora-and-the-making-of-kitschy-cool/41581/1 |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=Forbes India |language=en}} as well as several projects with Swarovski.{{Cite web |last=demo6 |date=2015-12-26 |title=Manish Arora dazzles with his new collection for Indian |url=https://sundayguardianlive.com/fashion/2338-manish-arora-dazzles-his-new-collection-indian |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=The Sunday Guardian Live |language=en-US}}

Some of his work was displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum, in the Fabric of India 2014-15 Exhibition.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

In 2020, Arora closed his brand.{{Cite news |last=Wicker |first=Alden |last2=Paton |first2=Elizabeth |date=2020-11-16 |title=For a Leading Light of Indian Fashion, All That Glitters Is Not Gold |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/16/fashion/manish-arora-bankruptcy-downfall.html |access-date=2025-01-30 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

In 2024, the designer partnered with SCAD FASH to mount the exhibition "Manish Arora: Life is Beautiful," a career retrospective drawn from the designer's archive and highlighting his brand and collaborations.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-11 |title='Manish Arora: Life Is Beautiful' |url=https://www.scadfash.org/exhibitions/manish-arora-life-beautiful |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film |language=en}} He was also included in the Texas Fashion Collection's permanent collection and in the 2024 two-part exhibition "Labor of Luxury: Embroidery from India to the World."{{Cite web |title=Exhibition & Reception: 'Labor of Luxury: Embroidery from India to the World' in the CVAD Gallery |url=https://news.cvad.unt.edu/news/exhibition-cvad-gallery-labor-of-luxury.html |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=news.cvad.unt.edu |language=en}}

Style

Manish Arora is regarded by many as "the John Galliano of India".{{Cite news |title=Stars of India blazing a stylish, global trail |author=Hilary Alexander |author-link=Hilary Alexander |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=26 March 2007 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1546733/Stars-of-India-blazing-a-stylish-global-trail.html |access-date=29 July 2011 }} 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.{{Cite news |title=Style: Manish Arora |newspaper=The New York Times |date=26 October 2008 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/26/style/26iht-luxury08-arora.18172914.html |access-date=29 July 2011 }}