Manish Arora

I can always tell who loves fashion style as intended by the ask of their source of inspiration. The response will not be clouded with fickle reasoning to suit their ego and self-esteem. Inspiration is all around us; life is my starting reference because it’s rooted in authenticity. My greatest sources are those within my family that have come before me, museums, nature, galleries, architecture, magazines, designers, and individuals with substantive insight around their perspective of fashion style. I also have an appreciation for style influencers who have great style not emulated by mass aesthetic, a creative mind and in their own lane. Everything else is just noise and can make me lose inspiration as it relates to social media; there’s so much fashion content but not enough authenticity which, is a catalyst for dynamic inspiration.

I was at a point of low inspiration, saw a picture of the butterfly gown via @scadfash and joy just began to emanate within me. Within hours, I was in person viewing this masterpiece. Can we get a little commotion for the dress-Bravo!!

The Butterfly Gown was created with thousands of handmade fluorescent vinyl butterflies that come to life when lit with blacklight. It is part of Manish Arora’s Spring/Summer “SS” ’08 collection, courtesy of Swarovski Kristallwelten.

Manish Arora is an Indian designer based in New Delhi. He was creative director for the fashion house Paco Rabanne before turning his attention back to his own label @manisharorafashion. Manish Arora has brought the talent and craftsmanship of India’s rich sartorial history to the global forefront, earning international acclaim at Paris and London Fashion Week. Arora’s global success speaks to his well-crafted and intricate designs. Combining the contemporary and the centuries-old, he originates wholly individual looks, bringing his vision to life for international clients and the world writ large.

Arora’s designs have been worn by the likes of Priyanka Chopra, Lady Gaga, Kate Moss, Katy Perry, Beth Ditto, Fergie, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj.  His fashions have also been featured in Netflix’s Emily in Paris and on the covers of glossy magazines.

The Futuristic Baroque dress is from the SS’11 collection. The material is silk crepe with hand-cut 3D gold applique, courtesy of Manish Arora. The dress was originally shown at Paris Fashion Week and subsequently worn by Nicki Minaj at the American Music Awards.

Manish Arora’s collections narrate India’s rich sartorial history, with a worldly view infused of joy, color, and humor. The exhibition is the designer’s first solo “Life Is Beautiful” at SCAD FASH Museum of Film + Fashion. The exhibition is broken down into specific themes inspired by the designer’s vision and interests. From the intricate embroidery that is impossible to recreate, attention to detail, use of Swarovski crystals, key moments in Arora’s life to the reimagination of traditional Indian techniques, fueled the creative within me.

The Bindi is traditionally worn by women after marriage. Strong Indian cultural symbols are of reference in design. The garments in the SS’08 collection featured a mirrored embroidery technique from the Kutch region of India.

Style inspiration is often sitting within reach of you in life. The more sources and individuals you open yourself up to with an open mind, the greater your personal style evolution.

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