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Manish
Malhotra with his friend
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He began
his career in fashion designing nine years ago with the costumes
of Juhi Chawla in Swarg. Today, he’s almost synonymous with costume-designing
in Hindi cinema...
He revolutionized
the fashion scene in Hindi cinema with his unique approach of working
out the entire look for the character as opposed to just the garments.
His tenure as a costume-designer has seen him clothe most of the
leading actresses in the film industry from Sridevi, Urmila Matondkar,
Karisma Kapoor, Kajol, Raveena Tandon, Manisha Koirala, Madhuri
Dixit, Twinkle Khanna and Shilpa Shetty to Kareena Kapoor, Aishwarya
Rai, Rani Mukerji and Preity Zinta. Although he doesn’t design
regularly for male actors, he has attired Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir
Khan on special occasions.
Manish Malhotra’s
list of films includes several blockbusters since Rangeela,
where he metamorphosised Urmila Matondkar into a raging sex symbol.
He repeated the magic with Karisma Kapoor and changed her image
through Raja Hindustani. From Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge,
Khamoshi, Hero No 1, Judaai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dil To Pagal Hai,
Hum Saath Saath Hai to Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, Mast, Phir Bhi Dil
Hai Hindustani, Satya, Dhadkan, Mohabbatein and Mujhe Kucch
Kehna Hai, most of the successful films in this decade boast
of Malhotra’s name in the credits.
His career
in costume designing is paved with several awards such as the Filmfare
Award for Urmila Matondkar’s costumes in Rangeela, the
Showtime Opinion Poll Award for his look for Karisma Kapoor in Raja
Hindustani, the Siemen’s Viewer’s choice Award for
Dil To Pagal Hai, the Lux-Zee Cine Award and the Bollywood
Award in New York for his work in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. He
has also been graced with the Indira Priyadarshini Memorial Award
for his contribution to the fashion industry, felicitated by National
Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi and the Indo-American Society
for his contribution to fashion designing, presented with the Elle
Style Awards in 1999 for the most Stylish Designer of the year.
Adding to his booty were two more awards which he won for Mohabbatein
which were the Zee Cine Award and IIFA Award for the year 2000.
After a brilliant
innings in films, Manish Malhotra decided to branch into mainstream
designing in 1998 with his hi-profile culture store, Reverie. The
store received a tremendous response and his clientele featured
the cream of hi-society in Mumbai from Tanya Godrej, Tina Ambani,
Haseena Jethmalani, Rhea Pillai and Avanti Birla to the NRI community
overseas. He has done several wedding trousseaus for reputed families.
His popularity soared during the period when he has exclusively
asked to design clothes for Michael Jackson for his appearance during
the Bollywood Awards held in New York. The outfit was a hit and
he was asked once again by Jackson to design outfits for his show
in Munich. After the show, he was requested by Jackson to design
a couple of outfits for his children.
Malhotra’s
first fashion show held in November 1999 was a talked about event
for months to come. The clothes were received with great appreciation
and almost 70 per cent of them were sold out within three weeks.
Malhotra created a coup of sorts by having Urmila Matondkar walk
the ramp for his show as a showstopper, an act followed by several
designers for their shows later. A part of his collection was the
embroidered denim wear that became a rage all over the city. Even
Naomi Campbell, who was on a visit to the city, picked up a pair
which, caught her fancy.
Today, after
being the only designer in the country to manage the delicate balance
between films and mainstream designing, Malhotra, in association
with Sheetal Design Studio, plans to conquer further horizons in
the fashion industry.
Manish Malhotra
and Sheetal Design Studio (SDS) unveiled “The Enchanted Ensemble”
on July 24 with special showings hosted at SDS, Grant Road, Mumbai.
“The Enchanted
Ensemble” is Manish Malhotra’s new Pret collection, the
seeds of which were sown while browsing through that evergreen romance
of William Shakespeare’s: A Midsummer Nights’ Dream “I
was charmed by the play’s sense of whimsy and rhyme, of freedom
and flowering. This collection comes with all the breeziness and
romance of a Shakespearean work,” says Manish speaking about
The Enchanted Ensemble.
In keeping
with SDS’s Design Philosophy: Cutting edge fashion that is
international in its appeal, globally relevant in its style and
yet, innately Indian in essence, The Enchanted Ensemble is a striking
demonstration of world culture not merely influencing but filtering
through a designer’s consciousness, creating in the process,
a product that is still distinctively Indian.
SDS is further
extending its design philosophy to include other art forms (art,
literature, music, drama) besides fashion. ‘‘The Enchanted
Ensemble’’ has emerged from this philosophy and is a novel
experience where two distinct artistic influences have merged together
in one voice.
According to
Mr. Dhiren Shah, CEO, SDS, “We are committed to create a genre
of clothes that embrace a global aesthetic but yet have an Indian
spirit. The enchanted Ensemble is a reinstatement of our belief
that fashion is the expression of an artistic inspiration.”
The Enchanted
Ensemble is a collection resplendent with delicate embellishments
and embroidered floral motifs, punctuated vividly with beads and
shimmering sequins. A dream woven out of poetry and passion.
Sensual crepes,
georgettes, nets and silks, traditional khadi and jute create sheer
drama with intricate chikanwork, elegant cutwork and iridescant
sequins, reshamwork and asymmetric embroidered patches. Short kurtas
with stoles, hip length tops, loose knit shirts, silk corsets and
lycra trousers speak a language of modern, unconventional silhouettes
with an Indian soul. The colour pallete enthralls with all the hues
of the rainbow and pleasant pastels. Immaculate detailing and superb
finish complete the picture of radiant yet avant-garde sophistication.
For Men, Manish
has created kurtas, kurta shirts, full shirts, short shirts, jackets
and drawstring pants, the accent being on hip style and comfort.
Cool pastel hues and neutrals like greys, beiges, offwhites, blacks
and white teamed with patchpockets, overlocked raw edges, bold necklines
and spray painting make the collection a study in confidence and
absolute manstyle. Cottons, linens and sheer fabrics add a touch
of understated glamour to the pret line for men. Superb finish,
cuts and detailing enhance the looks the strong, individualistic
and yet sensitive Man.
Models Reshma
Bombaywalla, Waluscha D’Souza, Shamita, Majid, Niketan Madhok
and Shabbir Ali walked the in-store ramp in Manish Malhotra’s
creations. “The Enchanted Ensemble for SDS presents fashion
in its purest sense... providing an experience that touches your
mind, body and soul — clothes that make you look good and feel
divine,” adds Manish.
This holistic
approach to design reflects in all the minimalistic creations at
SDS. The affordable and imaginatively designed garments at SDS push
the limits of creative expression by tastefully bringing together
the best of Ethnic and Western design trends. SDS stores offer clothes
that are absolutely unrivalled in their category — uniformly
chic and impeccably finished, created by one of the most inspired
design teams. The design aesthetic is reflected seamlessly in the
cuts, falls, embellishments and the styles of each outfit. The inherent
artistry always discreetly visible.
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