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New York, May 15 : Designer Manish
Malhotra, who has changed the way Bollywood stars dress
up, says celebrity clients excite him as much as ordinary
buyers.
"I make no distinction between celebrities
and others. I do not change my designs based on where
they are being marketed. I won't change my designs for
the US market or as a Bombay designer for my Delhi clients,"
says Malhotra, who was here overseeing a fashion show.
Asked whether he designs around an attitude
or a person, he says: "Clearly a person. People bring
a certain personality with them. I like to work with them."
Ten years ago, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma
gave Malhotra the script of the film "Rangeela".
Malhotra used that opportunity to redefine fashion in
Bollywood.
The costumes for the film's lead actress
Urmila Matondkar were described as hip, urbane and daring.
"That was perhaps the first time
a film director had given a fashion designer an entire
script. That worked very well because I could get into
the mood of the characters," Malhotra told IANS in
an interview.
"I have always loved Hindi films
and I have always loved clothes. I had to combine my two
passions," he says, recalling his foray into Bollywood.
"I learnt to cut cloth. That was
the basic for any designer. But it was quite tough in
the beginning trying to convince filmmakers about what
I had to offer."
After modelling briefly to support himself
in Mumbai, Malhotra began to get assignments.
Since the success of "Rangeela",
he has designed costumes for some of the biggest names
in Bollywood - Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena
Kapoor, Urmila Matondkar, Hema Malini and others.
"I take care to see that actors
look good and not my outfits. My clothes are meant to
enhance those who wear them and not the other way around,"
says Malhotra, who is turning director with a "simple
romantic film".
Asked what drives his creativity, he
says: "I design my clothes to reflect energy and
exuberance. It is a younger, colourful and energetic take
on fashion."
The Manish Malhotra label, which is about
a year old, appears to have caught on at exclusive stores
in Mumbai, Dubai and Singapore. The designer's collection
is now available at Earth NYC, a lounge in Chelsea, as
well as Sahil in Chicago.
In his spring and summer collection this
season, Malhotra's preference is lime green and aqua blue.
"I prefer animal prints mixed with shading. Some
colours like pastel are overdone," he says.
He is not quite high on the taste of
Indian Americans, saying they prefer very traditional
Indian clothes with too much embroidery.
Malhotra sees Indian fashion making a
significant global impact. "Indian fashion is being
noticed globally, and in turn it is also keeping global
tastes in mind. Indian fashion is ready for the world."
Even the sari is undergoing a transformation.
"It is becoming more glamorous and yet easy to maintain."
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