'It is great to be an Indian right now'

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Posted online: Monday , February 25, 2008 at 01:30:13
Updated: Monday , February 25, 2008 at 01:49:52

Paris, February 25: New Delhi-based fashion designer Manish Arora summed it up succinctly: "It's great to be an Indian right now. And I can tell you, Indians have a lot of money."

With the credit crunch and threatened recession in the United States and Europe, luxury fashion houses courting new customers in the boom nations of China and India may find that Asian designers are not willing to be outmanoeuvred.

Arora, when he became the first Indian to show in ready-to-wear week in Paris last season, made it clear this was no Indian summer: he intended to make it all year round in the world's fashion capital.

This weekend, as the shows for next autumn-winter got under way, he was joined by fellow countryman Rajesh Pratap Singh from Rajasthan, who developed his label in Italy but has now decided to show in Paris.

"I have a lot of friends in Paris, my clothes are already sold here. It was only natural," he said.

Both events created a buzz, indicating the likelihood that they will carve out more prominent spots in the calendar in future.

Arora was inspired by warrior women, drawing on costume through the ages and cultures from gladiators, medieval knights in shining armour and Samurai to futuristic gear straight out of Star Wars.

His models wore fearsome face masks, all glinting sharp points, with gauntlets to the elbow and thigh-high boots.

Their lurex-spangled chainmail tunics and togas had 1980s power-dressing padded shoulders and double cap-sleeves, but exquisitely embroidered with witty designs by Japanese avant-garde artist Kelichi Tanami or even Walt Disney cartoons in Arora's signature garish fluorescent palette.

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Bloddy Indians! by Praveen Rao on 25 Feb 2008

India is the only country in teh world where females are not safe even in mother's womb. Shame on you! Bunch of thieves.

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Every one is feeling great to be Indian for centuries by BAHRAT PUTRA on 25 Feb 2008

Manishji, What do you mean, IT IS GREAT TO BE AN INDIAN RIGHT NOW? Why not before? Indians are the lucky people on earth to have been born on a blessed soil of MOTHER INDIA, They have been feeling great ever since the creation of BAHRAT VARSA, India is the only land of which the ideologies like Sanatan Hindu Dharma, Budhism, Sikhism, and now Satya SAIsm, Art Of LIVINGism and YOGA helping the today's unhappy world find peace of mind, No matter how materially poor my MOTHER INDIA is I would like to be born in India for another million lives.

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