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Manish Arora's Merry Madness
Call him a limelight moth. If designer Manish Arora made news at last year's Lakme India Fashion Week when Diandra Soares and Binal Trivedi sealed their friendship with a lip-to-lip on the catwalk, the designer wants his clothes to be the centre of attention this year. On Thursday Manish presents a happy collection inspired by Goa at LIFW 2004.
Call him a limelight moth. If designer Manish Arora made news at last year's Lakmé India Fashion Week when Diandra Soares and Binal Trivedi sealed their friendship with a lip-to-lip on the catwalk, the designer wants his clothes to be the centre of attention this year.
Arora, whose clothes are being put up almost all over Amsterdam at the fashionable chain of Bijenkorf stores, presents a happy collection inspired by Goa (a place that's "full of energy") at LIFW 2004. The highlight of his collection, to be shown today, are the animated prints that you can catch on his website (manisharora.as), which shows him and his fish trying to kill each other.
"The prints reflect whatever came to my mind, be it people dancing in Goa or my own cartoon character. The idea was to have fun but make a functional, wearable collection," he says.
In fact he named his line Fish Fry not because he loves fried fish but because it sounds funny. "Only in India we call it fish fry. Everywhere else it's fried fish. It sounds hilarious – just right for my line."
Arora promises animated prints will be big this year. His timing couldn't have been better – Amrita Rao flaunts midriff baring tops with animated prints in this week's big release, Main Hoon Na. "My collection has a very Japanese feel to it – not Kimono or Geisha, but street wear that's a bit over the top. Tokyo, after all, is a place that grows on you," says Arora.
He has done away with zippers or buttons and has gone for slip on and off clothes that don't have crushing or ironing problems. The diminutive designer wants to dress the fun-loving woman of today who just wants to be herself. So behenjis take note, here comes Manish Arora!
All About Arora
Mumbai born Manish Arora was studying commerce till he discovered NIFT, where he studied fashion design from '91-' 94
He loves Goa. The moods of Goa is mirrored in his new collection.
Arora's favourite nightclub in Goa is Nine Bar. He loves to eat at Fiesta and the Leela café.
