‘I won’t show in India again’

Says fashion maverick Manish Arora after he lands a job with Franco-Spanish label, Paco Rabanne.

In his first interview since he landed a position with Franco-Spanish fashion house, Paco Rabanne, designer Manish Arora says he won’t be showing in India anymore.

Late last week, the ‘John Galliano of India’, as the fashion circle calls him, was selected as the artistic director, womenswear (prêt), by the international label, notorious for its kitschy and over-the-top creations.

“I will not be showing at any fashion weeks in India for a while. I already spend a lot of time in Paris, and now, that will just have to increase drastically,” says Arora.

Paco Rabanne, now owned by the European Puig Beauty and Fashion Group, was founded by the Francisco “Paco” Rabaneda Cuervo, who was labelled the enfant terrible of the fashion world in the 1960s for his impractical creations. But, Arora says he won’t follow suit. “That is what made his label different from the rest. Now, I hope to leave my mark.”

The brand hasn’t sent down a collection down the runways of Paris since 2006. “It’s not going to be an easy task. A fantastic runway showing needs to turn into equally fantastic sales.”

Arora has been signed on for the next three years, with his first collection slated to be featured in the Spring Summer 2012 shows later this year in Paris.

Friends are happy, but hope he continues his Indian showings, too. “I’m very happy, but Manish should definitely not stop showing in India, considering how popular he is,” says designer Namrata Joshipura, a close friend of Arora. “More than a feather in India’s cap, he’s a feather in Paco’s cap,” says designer Suneet Varma.