Enter The Whimsical World Of Manish Arora

The designer who is known for his whimsical and glamorously OTT aesthetic has recently opened his second store in Mumbai, in the Kala Ghoda neighbourhood. Much like his clothes, the new store is intricately embellished, colourful and bold. The floor is lined with patterned tiles, and stained glass doors, lamps, and partitions add even more colour to this retail space covered in Arora’s signature rani pink hue.

Manish Arora takes us through the making of his store.

Designing the store…
“It’s a lot like my house. My bathroom has very similar tiles, the coloured doors at the entrance are the same as my closet. I have hearts on my wall at home too. The flooring and furniture are also similar. So it’s almost like entering my world.”

Challenges…
“I think every city in India has it’s own issues when you’re trying to open a commercial space, but I love this location (in Kala Ghoda). It’s incredible and it wasn’t easy to find a spot like this.”

Offline store…
“I know that with demonetisation, online retail is going to get bigger. But at the same time, when women anywhere in the world want to buy clothes like mine, which are for special occasions, they still want to touch, feel, and try them on! That’s what will drive people to the stores.

New festive collection…
The philosophy behind it is: life is beautiful. It’s all about colour, joy and celebration with added glow-in-the-dark elements.

Favourite pieces…
I love the ones that glow in UV light, and the pink and green lotus print we have used.