Returning champion

For designer Bibhu Mohapatra, who's dressed Michelle Obama and opera divas, India remains both the muse and the ultimate market

- Noor Anand Chawla

On a balmy October evening, a well-heeled, glittering crowd descends on the newly refurbished Pragati Maidan, in the heart of Delhi. They settle around a large amphitheatre. Before long, fountains spout up toward the sky as the stage lights up. Vasundhara Vee, known for her soulful jazz and Sukanya Chattopadhyay, a singer of Hindustani classical, set the mood as models strut out wearing cocktail dresses, structured gowns, chic blazers, slinky skirts, and other embellished outfits. Bibhu Mohapatra is back. The OG ambassador for Indian design abroad showed on home turf after nearly a decade.

Cutting edge

Mohapatra, 51, was born in Odisha but left for the US in 1996 to pursue a degree in Economics. While there, he signed up for a sewing job at the costume shop on campus to help with their in-house production of Cyrano de Bergerac. A professor ended up noticing his spark and skill, and encouraged him to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). It changed not only Mohapatra's journey, but that of Indian fashion too. His eponymous label has been worn by Michelle Obama, Kendall Jenner, and A-list actors such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Zendaya, Glenn Close, Priyanka Chopra, and Deepika Padukone.