“One of the most recognised Indian designers.”
Business of Fashion
“I have seen magnificent collections from Manish Arora, both in India and in Paris.”
Suzy Menkes
“Young Indian Designer Manish Arora is regarded by many as the ‘John Galliano of India’.”
Hilary Alexander
“Manish Arora is one of the most entertaining designers to watch.”
Fashionista
That Manish Arora already knew he’d change plans the moment he entered college for a degree in commerce is a possibility. That’s because he was knocking at the doors of NIFT – National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi halfway through the course to embrace fashion design. One of those life-changing decisions our parents often hate, which pay off on the long run. Definitely so – to say the least – in Arora’s case.
Graduated from NIFT in 1994 Manish Arora went on to win a number of international competitions dragging his name into the limelight. 3 years later in 1997 he was ready to launch his own label. Following 5 successful years of showing in India, Manish exhibited his first collection on an international platform in 2005 at London Fashion Week. Soon after he was invited to showcase his debut collection at Paris Fashion Week in September 2007. In that same month he was invited by the Victoria & Albert Museum to show a retrospective of his London Fashion Week collections with a fashion show in the context of the “Fashion in Motion” series.
His religion is PINK and GOLD. His strongest values are about his natural DNA symbolized by colours, embroideries and Happiness. “Life is Beautiful” is his way of life and of thinking, whatever happens.
Throughout his career several eminent collaborations went under his belt: Walt Disney, Swarovski, Swatch, Reebok, Barbie, Mono Prix, Nespresso, Nivea, MAC, Pommery… He has also adorned celebrities like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Rossy de Palma and Beth Ditto to name a few.

Commenting the finalists (Manish Arora was part of the ITS JEWELRY Jury that year) in an interview with CNN during ITS 2014, he said “I’m looking at them and thinking ‘maybe I should collaborate with this shoe designer, maybe I should collaborate with this jewelry designer, or maybe I should have that piece of art in my house’ It’s 4 different design dimensions, all in one room”.

This pretty sums-up how one collaboration we are particularly fond of started out, since it’s exactly what happened with past finalist Lili Colley (Winner of the Swarovski Elements Jewelry Award in 2013), who ended up collaborating with Manish for his Spring/Summer 2015 collection with a series of head & neck pieces.
Precisely the kind of networking we love to see in action inside the ITS Family.
Other articles:
The Seismographer
Teaching creativity. Interview with Ike Rust, menswear tutor to former ITS winners.
13 February, 2023
In the twenty years of ITS Contest rarely have we seen such consistency in training young designers that would be then be selected as finalists by the ITS Jury, a first…
The Seismographer
ITS Contest names that ring a bell.
Craig Green, David Koma, Liam Fahy and Lee Matthews in the ITS Arcademy Collection.
12 January, 2023
In the history of contemporary fashion, documented through the perspective of the ITS Arcademy Collection, there are designers who made history. Interestingly, it’s not always names that made it through to…
The Seismographer
One Collection, infinite stories: Religion. Looking at the religious elements of the ITS Arcademy collection.
05 December, 2022
Looking for either controversy, beauty, culture or symbolism, it is no mystery why fashion drives inspiration from religion. They are undeniably intertwined: religions and religious orders have dress codes and use…
The Seismographer
Handling the History of Contemporary Fashion Evolution. Interview with the head of our Collection team, in charge of handling the ITS Foundation’s archival patrimony.
04 December, 2022
Stepping into a museum space can often feel like everything’s stuck in time, frozen. As if it were a place where not much happens, other than cleaning and occasional moving of…
The Seismographer
ITS Finalists nominated at The Fashion Awards 2022. Demna, Matthieu Blazy and Chopova Lowena among the nominees of the Oscars of Fashion.
28 November, 2022
Assigned annually in London by the British Fashion Council, The Fashion Awards might seem like they’ve only existed since Craig Green won Designer of the Year in 2016. But the ceremony…
The Seismographer
Sketching, the Aitor Throup way.
A chat about drawing as a daily therapy with ITS 2006 winner Aitor Throup.
15 November, 2022
“Aitor Throup is an Argentinian-born British artist, designer and creative director.” This is the only sentence that sounds vaguely complete about what Aitor is. All attempts to pin down every aspect…