Manish Malhotra is not just another designer. He is the one, who gave us fashion goals when there were no fashion bloggers and Bollywood movies were our ultimate source of information.
Manish Malhotra is one of the most celebrated designers in India. He comes from a humble Punjabi family, and loved watching films while he was growing up. Manish Malhotra became a designer in the '90s when it wasn't considered a 'white collar job'. Once Manish revealed that his mother's influence made him fall in love with the fashion world. He would often advise his mother on how to style her sarees.
Manish Malhotra entered the world of fashion while he was studying in college. He started as a model and worked with a boutique for Rs. 500 monthly. Who would have thought that the same young Punjabi boy would become the most-loved designer worldwide and his clothes would sell in lakhs? Apart from styling countless brides, Manish Malhotra's iconic looks in Bollywood movies are still loved by many. He gave us fashion inspiration when there were no fashion influencers or the internet, and Bollywood movies were the ultimate way of staying updated with styles.
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At the age of 25, Manish Malhotra got his first break when he worked on a film starring Juhi Chawla. However, he rose to fame with his costume designs for the 1995 movie, Rangeela, which featured Aamir Khan and Urmila Matondkar. The designer created stunning outfits and even won a Filmfare Award for Costume Design.
Manish Malhotra decked up Urmila in sultry gowns, skater dresses, oversized shirts, and denims that still work wonders on modern Indian women. However, it was the Beret hat that won many hearts, and became the 'it' accessory.
In 1997, Karisma Kapoor created a stir with her chic looks in the film, Dil To Pagal Hai. We all dreamed of owning Karisma's sleek athleisure, and Madhuri's simple Indian outfits. Manisha Malhotra made Indian outfits look stunning by adding lace and sheer detailing. It was the first Indian film, wherein Manish Malhotra picked international brands and Western trends for the film's leading ladies.
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Another breakthrough looks that Manish Malhotra created is for the film, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, wherein he styled Kareena Kapoor Khan as the hot NYC chic, 'Poo'. Manish chose bold crop tops featuring backless detailing. We also loved Kareena donning parallel suits which became a rage in the early 2000s.
By 2008, Indian women's fashion had evolved, and suits and sarees had taken a back seat. It was considered a little old-fashioned, but Manish Malhotra re-invented sarees by styling Priyanka Chopra in Dostana. He designed sequinned sarees with bralette blouses, proving to modern Indian women that the six-yard piece can look chic too. He even made swimwear look cute by designing it in tones of gold.
Manish Malhotra also made the red-hued sarees look classy and elegant when he styled Kareena Kapoor Khan in one for the film, Ra. One. The saree featured an embroidered border, and Manish also experimented with the draping style.
In 2017, Manish Malhotra left the nation in awe by styling Anushka Sharma in pretty long kurtas with jeans, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's tailored outfits. However, not many know Manish created a 17 kg lehenga for Anushka Sharma's wedding scene, and oh boy, it created a rage among the brides and was recreated by many.
Manish Malhotra started his journey into the fashion world as a model and costume designer, and now he is one of the top Indian designers. He had completed a glorious 33 years in the industry and still gets nervous before his every fashion show. The designer is still relevant and considered the first choice when designing for a film because he has a knack for staying updated with the trends that change every week.
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