No more waiting for fashionably-late celebrities. No need to put up with wannabes in the social circuit. No need to crane your neck and watch the ramp as the loud bass music hammers your heart. And, above all, no need to fret if you are not invited to the fashion show. Get ready to be transported to a virtual one for a simulated, fully-immersive experience as fashion embraces technology. Manish Malhotra, designer and Bollywood stylist with a sensibility of his own, is on the frontlines of change. His show for Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai today, will be shot and reformatted for a Virtual Reality platform, and premiered in September. A quick five with the designer as he gives finishing flourishes to his collection for LFW.
How do you think technology can change the way we see and experience fashion?
The most important contribution that technology has made to fashion is facilitating greater access. It democratises fashion in more ways than one. You don’t necessarily have to be a part of the elite circuit to experience fashion — technology brings it to you. Also, it doesn’t matter in which part of the world an outfit is created — there still is a client for it — somewhere across the world, many time zones away.
LFW is a staple in your calendar. You try to push the frontiers of fashion every season…
Yes, LFW is special to me. This is the 11th year of my association with the pageant. So, this season again, we will cross a new milestone with a show that celebrates a couple of firsts. Manish Malhotra is set to become the first label in India to ever present a VR fashion showcase. It will also be the first label to partner with Etihad Airways to take fashion beyond shows. As we unveil the collection at LFW, the clothes displayed on the ramp will be shot using cutting-edge technology.
The footage will be used to create a simulated VR experience for travellers flying with Etihad. You can see the videos in their apartment cabins and in their lounge area too. If you are a follower of fashion, this will be a terrific experience. This will be the very first fashion show that will give viewers an experience beyond frontiers, space and time.
What is it about your collection for LFW that will keep the fashion fraternity talking?
The collection is festive with statement ensembles and handcrafted evening wear for every occasion related to weddings. The pieces have the ‘Manish Malhotra’ touch of glamour, colour and opulence, and are for confident brides who are willing to embrace refreshing experiments. It will include tunics, pants, saris, toned-down kalidars and trailing skirts with a lot of embroidery and thread work.
As Bollywood’s most sought-after name, have you in any way felt restricted from doing what you really wanted to do as a designer?
It is humbling to see many Bollywood stars wear Manish Malhotra from the 1990s till today. In our culture, people tend to idolise celebrities and their sense of style. This undoubtedly got me a fan following that propelled my success as a designer. However, after a vast repertoire of work and significant success, I didn’t want to be known only as a designer of glamorous Indian wear and coveted bridal lehengas. For me, the key to evolving professionally has to come from the ability to reinvent myself and the ability to pave new avenues for my label. This year, I am focussing on Indian textiles and crafts. I have worked extensively with Kashmiri embroidery. From starting off with 50 Kashmiri artisans in 2012, this initiative now involves over 280 women in Mijwan village in Uttar Pradesh. To support our indigenous heritage, I started this year with a showcase of The Regal Threads, a collection that combined the efforts of local weavers and artisans in Benares and Gujarat.
I still find time and contribute to films. I have Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil this year. Next year, it will be Mom, for which I will take care of Sridevi’s clothes, and Badrinath Ki Dulhania for which I will handle Alia Bhatt’s.
Fashionistas always identify you with trousseau designs. What are the major trends this wedding season?
I see people dressing according to their personality and playing up their own sense of aesthetics. The future of fashion is about individuality — we will see a great mix of style and fashion! Brides have also become a lot more experimental. Today, they are not shy of wearing cropped tops with lehengas. I continue to see a lot of global influences in fashion.
