Dream Weaver

Having completed over a decade as a designer, Manish Malhotra is still a man on the move. In a conversation with Bazaar, he talks about how films honed his passion for fashion.

- Nonita Kalra

DRAMA AND DECADENCE ARE WHAT MANISH MALHOTRA DOES BEST. By building characters through costumes, the designer has single-handedly changed the way Bollywood dresses. On screen and off it. Here, he talks to Bazaar on how he owns up to glamour and the glitz, and his plans to go global.

Nonita Kalra: Tell us about the journey that has brought you here today.

Manish Malhotra: The biggest milestone in my journey is cinema. I had a vision of working in the fashion industry back in the early 1990's. However, I did not come from a wealthy family and had not studied fashion so I couldn’t start my own collection. At the same time I enjoyed sketching and painting, and I loved music, movies, and colour. Nobody was touching movies at the time, and I realised that if I could make a change there, I could make a name for myself. Another milestone was coming to Delhi. I opened my store in the capital three years ago. It was the country’s largest store and a defining moment in my career. 

NK: Which are the five movies that have shaped your work?