Manish Malhotra (born 5 December 1966) is an Indian fashion designer, couturier, costume stylist, entrepreneur, filmmaker and revivalist based in Mumbai, India.
The founder of the eponymous label, Manish Malhotra, he sometimes took part in the narration and scripting to develop film costumes. Malhotra received the Priyadarshini Memorial Award for his contribution to the fashion industry and the Filmfare Award for Best Costume Design in 1996 for the film Rangeela (1995).
Manish Malhotra has launched 2 other new ventures - Manish Malhotra High Jewellery and a Film Production company called Stage5 Production.
Early life
Manish Malhotra was born to a Punjabi Hindu family in Mumbai, India. He studied at the Sacred Heart Boys High School, Mumbai. At the age of 19, while studying Arts at Elphinstone College in Mumbai, he did a few modeling gigs in ad campaigns for brands like Fu's, Weekender, Frooti, and Goldspot. He then joined a boutique in Bandra called Equinox, where he spent his time sketching and draping the mannequins for a year. In 1987, he hired two tailors and started taking customized couture orders from his house. In 1989, he styled the actress Divya Bharti in a song sequence for a film by David Dhawan, but the film was never released. He debuted in the Hindi Film Industry as a costume stylist in 1990.
Malhotra made his costume designing debut with the film Swarg (1990), starring Rajesh Khanna, Govinda and Juhi Chawla. The same year, he was hired by Sridevi to style her photoshoot looks. In 1993, he designed a complete look for the late Sridevi's character in Mahesh Bhatt's Gumrah. After the shooting of the Telugu thriller Govinda Govinda (1994), Ram Gopal Varma hired him for the costumes of Rangeela (1995). The film led Filmfare to introduce a new award category for costume designing, the Filmfare Award for Best Costume Design, with Malhotra being its first recipient.
In 2003, Malhotra styled Johar's Kal Ho Naa Ho, a romantic comedy-drama based on NRI's living in New York City. Preity Zinta's statement pieces included scarves, trench coats, halter dresses (including a red one from "Kuch Toh Hua Hai"), sweaters, slip dresses, flared pants, and one-shoulder dresses - all relevant to the era and character. Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan's embroidered kurtas and Zinta's blue "Maahi Ve" lehenga, and Jaya Bachchan's makeover look, which including jeans, sweaters, sweatshirts and long trench and overcoats.
The same year, he designed the wedding outfits for Karisma Kapoor.
In 2007, Malhotra styled Kareena Kapoor's character, Geet in the film Jab We Met. The film saw the rise of harem pants paired with long t-shirts, phulkari scarves, corset tops (with the popular red skirt), and hoop earrings with short kurtas.
In 2008, Malhotra was praised for Priyanka Chopra's look in the film Dostana. Based in Miami. the vibe of the film was cool chic, and so were the costumes. It saw her in a golden swimsuit, and her classic silver saree with a blouse from the song "Desi Girl" launched many versions of the same.
In 1999, he collaborated with his friends, the industrialist Kajal Anand, Avanti, and Yash Birla for a brief period to design collections for their store, Reverie.
Manish Malhotra tied up with Sheetal Design Studio and set up a workshop there. He virtually became a face of the Sheetal Design Studio, and exclusively retailed out of their store at Bombay's Grant Road for 4 years.
After claiming his position as a costume director, stylist, and Hindi film industry fashion designer, he launched his couture label Manish Malhotra in 2005. It offers bridal, couture, diffusion, men's wear, and bespoke collections that now retail at four Mumbai, New Delhi, and Hyderabad stores.
In 2006, Manish Malhotra teamed up with Saif Belhasa Group of Companies to open his first flagship store in Dubai that catered to Arab and Global customers. The collection portrayed a range of specially designed shelas, abhayas and jalabiyas, an amalgamation of traditional craft and modern design sensibilities to reflect the essence of his designs. The store later shut down in 2017.
In 2008, he opened his first two flagship stores in Khar West, Mumbai, India.
In 2013, Manish Malhotra was the first Indian designer to open the largest Indian stand-alone store sprawled over 6,000 sq.ft, located in a gorgeous haveli on Kalkadas Marg in Mehrauli, Delhi. The space reflects Malhotra's trademark opulent style with arched windows, high ceilings, and vintage chandeliers.
Manish Malhotra partnered with Etihad Airways to create a virtual reality fashion show at Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai in August 2016.
In 2017, Manish launched the Hyderabad store, located in the city's Jubilee Hills locality, which spreads over 15,000 sq. ft.
Over the years, the label's aesthetic has aimed to bring together traditional Indian craftsmanship with contemporary silhouettes like gowns with intricate gold embroidery, cigarette pants paired with long jackets for women, voluminous lehengas worn with cropped blouses, or the use of non-traditional colors like royal blue, soft pink, maroon, etc., in bridal ensembles. The label's design language is claimed to exhibit glamour and is a reflection of modern India.
In 2019, many actresses wore the signature "Manish Malhotra saree" that the designer introduced in a variety of colours.
He launched his first-ever make-up line, Manish Malhotra Beauty, in collaboration with My Glamm in December 2018.
Reliance Brands Limited (RBL) - part of the retail arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries acquired a 40 percent stake in brand 'Manish Malhotra' (within the lifestyle space domain) to accelerate the 16-year old couture house's growth in India and across the globe. On Friday, October 15, Reliance Brands and Manish Malhotra announced a strategic partnership as part of the deal. This is the first external investment for Manish Malhotra's brand, which has been privately held by the designer so far. The brand will continue to be led by Manish Malhotra, as Managing and Creative Director after the partnership with Reliance.
In 2023, Manish Malhotra launched ‘DIAMONDS,’ marking a significant expansion into the high jewellery vertical. He also broadened his retail presence by opening his first international flagship store at the prestigious Fashion Avenue in the Dubai Mall, making him the first Indian designer to achieve this milestone. His work was prominently displayed in an exhibition at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, and he headlined the opening show for JIO World Plaza. Additionally, Malhotra collaborated with Air India to design new uniforms and partnered with Century Ply to create a limited edition of designer laminates. Other significant ventures included the launch of Stage 5 Productions for films and an exclusive collaboration with Starbucks offering a limited-edition lifestyle drinkware range collection.
Malhotra's creative journey took a significant leap in 2024, marked by his creative direction for the pre-wedding and the grand wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, under the guidance of Mrs. Nita Mukesh Ambani. He seamlessly incorporated traditional Indian aesthetics with opulent modernity, reflecting a deep respect for heritage while embracing contemporary flair. His influence extends beyond this remarkable occasion. His creations have graced notable celebrities such as Kim and Khloe Kardashian, John Cena, Nicky Hilton, Law Roach, Luis Fonsi, and Lauren Swartz. His designs also shone at the grand wedding of 153 major Padma Shri artists, highlighting his exceptional ability to merge high fashion with monumental artistry. Internationally, his designs have adorned celebrated figures, with Jessica Alba and Zayn Malik gracing the pages of magazines in his creations, while Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna have been spotted in his exquisite high jewellery pieces. Malhotra’s dedication to sustainability was recognised with the Elle Sustainability Award, highlighting his efforts to revive traditional crafts like Phulkari and Banarasi weaves.
He also launched a new store at JIO World Plaza in Mumbai,India and also showcased his collection at Harrods’ Private Shopping Penthouse, becoming the first Indian designer invited to this esteemed venue. Through these remarkable ventures, Manish Malhotra continues to redefine Indian fashion, merging the richness of cultural heritage with the allure of contemporary design on both national and international stages.
In August 2016, Malhotra's show for Lakme Fashion Week's Winter-Festive edition was shot for a Virtual Reality fashion experience by Etihad Airways. The Virtual Reality video was released earlier in January 2017 at Etihad’s Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi. He also worked with Google on launch promotions for ‘G Suite’ – a set of intelligent apps designed for modern professionals.
Malhotra worked on a traditional outfit design for Michael Jackson, during his visit to India in the late 1990s.
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