'Made in India being global has always been my dream': Manish Malhotra

Manish Malhotra, who has long held the status of being among the crème de la crème of the Indian fashion scene revels in the fact that brides always think about him while planning their bridal trousseau. From being the first Indian designer to showcase at Harrod’s, and making his Met Gala debut earlier this year, to dressing the likes of Beyoncé and the Kardashians, Manish Malhotra is on a roller coaster that only goes up.

In a chat with Manifest, Manish Malhotra talks about what he’s manifesting, the future of Indian couture, and his new collection ‘Inaya’.

Manifest: What inspires you to create every day? 

Manish Malhotra: Life, surroundings, people, music, nature, and I think the discipline of getting up and going to work on time or before time. 

M: What's your favourite moment when you dressed a bride? 

MM: My most favourite moment when I see the bride is her happiness. When she's looking beautiful, the bridegroom has tears in his eyes, seeing her walk. And the parents and their emotional look towards their beautiful daughter. I think that makes me feel a part of all those celebrations and I feel really good about it. 

M: How has your approach to bridal couture evolved over the years? 

MM: Well, it's been many collections, some wrongs, some rights, some no’s, some yes’s. But overall, very good. And the business has grown. I'm really excited to be one of those designers which every bride considers when she's thinking about her bridal trousseau. I love doing bridal-wear. I just feel a part of that big celebration, and Inaya as a collection is much more universal and experimental. It takes bridal wear global and has lots of new silhouettes, lots of new colours. Marrying tradition and modernity with some futurism. I'm very excited about Inaya. Even the shoot of Inaya started from my home and the warmth of my home is in this collection. So, Inaya is very, very personal.

M: What kind of craftsmanship, materials and techniques have taken the centre stage in Inaya? 

MM: Inaya has a wide range—signature sequin, a lot of crystal 3-dimensional embroidery, lots of textures is something that I've not done before. There’s a lot of texture and treatment to fabrics, revisiting gotta, revisiting Awadh, Banaras, tradition, royalty of Indian textile, which is all many, many centuries old. Inaya is, like I said, a very personalised collection, taking Indian craft made in India across the globe.

M: What is the one thing you've manifested? 

MM:  What I've always manifested is for Indian craft, Indian designers to be globally known, their work to be worn by celebrities across the world, to see the saree maker come back to the red carpet, and for the saree to be universal. Indian textiles, Indian products, and Made in India being global has always been my dream.

M: What does the future look like for modern Indian couture, according to you? 

MM: I think the whole movement has started right? We're seeing such wonderful designers, their great work on international celebrities on various global platforms, and red carpets. Indian designers and brands are making a mark there. We were the first to showcase at Harrods last year, to be at the Golden Globe, at the Met Gala and at Cannes this year, all in one gear. From dressing up Beyoncé, to dressing up Jennifer Lopez and so many international celebrities, it all seems so exciting and it makes me extremely happy, because this is something that I always wanted and it's not just for myself, but for the entire Indian design community, to be out there on global platforms.

If you want to explore the best of couture, jewellery and all things wedding, head to the FDCI Manifest Wedding Weekend this August 2–3, 2025, at the Taj Palace, New Delhi. Register here.