Bollywood’s Favourite Couturier Manish Malhotra Celebrates His Birthday

Manish Malhotra celebrates another year around the sun, and while he has taken the Indian fashion scenario to a global platform, his journey has been all about sustaining India’s artisans and ensuring that all his creations are symbolic of the grandeur and legacy of its craftsmanship.

From dressing India’s biggest names to shaping how an entire generation dreams of weddings and perceives fashion, the designer has been at the helm of defining cultural moments since the 1990s. So, as social media floods with all the love for him, we raise a toast to the man who turned fashion and glamour into a language. However, his influence is not just limited to the Indian fashionverse. There is a clear vision that Malhotra strives for, and today, he has found himself in the centre of all things popular.

Malhotra is one of the few Indian designers to have walked some of the most prestigious international red carpets this year, from the iconic MET Gala, Cannes, amfAR,  to the Pink Ball and the Golden Globes. What makes his meteoric rise rather special is how his journey began decades ago in 1990 when he made his debut as a costume designer in the film Swarg that starred Juhi Chawla, Govinda and Rajesh Khanna. The same year, the couturier had styled photoshoot looks for the late actor Sridevi. Over the course of the early 90s, he carved a niche for himself by blending in character-driven costumes with fashion-forward aesthetics. 

And this year has been a feather in the cap for Malhotra as he dominated and turned heads at events, making a mark of his own and leaving spectators in awe. Every month of 2025 carried an MM moment, each one bigger and more memorable than the previous one. While his Met Gala moment in May 2025 marked the beginning of the year for him, where he walked the red carpet himself, claiming his space on one of the most powerful red carpets from Mumbai to Manhattan, 2025 was not about so much more.

“Each phase of my career has been a learning experience, encouraging me to evolve and explore new creative territories. I’ve always been an optimistic person, and I believe it’s the love for what you do that truly gets you where you want to be. Over the years, I’ve realised the importance of staying true to one’s identity while embracing change,” Malhotra had shared with Manifest in a previous interview.

Earlier this year, Malhotra went to Cannes for a big fat wedding, which went on to become a moodboard inspiration for all the others to come. Every silhouette he created for Sunil Vaswani’s daughter’s wedding felt absolutely cinematic, reminiscent of a classic Dharma movie bride. 

Hollywood was quick to follow as Rihanna, who had already worn his jewellery once before, continued the love affair as she stepped out in Manish Malhotra’s high jewellery once again at the Met Gala. Jennifer Lopez followed suit as she wore him at billionaire heiress Netra Mantena and Vamsi Gadiraju’s lavish Udaipur wedding. His jewellery started conversations across International styling, translating men’s jewellery from an occasional, ceremonial affair to an everyday flex, making a statement rather bold.

But his fanfare did not just stop there. One of his most ambitious showcases in Dubai made 2025 even more special for him. International supermodel Adriana Lima had walked the runway during the spectacle as he launched his global "World Collection" inspired by Arabian Gulf pearl diving, featuring Middle Eastern silhouettes with Indian craftsmanship, stunning sequins.

Not just that, even his star-studded Diwali party this year became a cultural moment of its own. From the guest list, the looks, to the photos, everything came together to make it seem like a glamorous universe where Bollywood, fashion and global pop culture collided, all under his roof.

And as if global domination wasn’t enough for Malhotra, 2025 also became the year he expanded beyond the world of fashion. His debut film as a producer, Gustaakh Ishq, starring Fatima Sana Sheikh and Vijay Varma, released this year, a dream he’d hinted at previously in a conversation with Manifest. “After an enriching career in costume design, couture, jewellery and makeup, it felt like the right time to embrace my lifelong passion for filmmaking. It perfectly aligns with my broader vision, allowing me to merge storytelling with my love for fashion and cinema. This expansion honours the industry that has given me so much."

Therefore, this year, undoubtedly became the year of Manish Malhotra, one that proved that his creative compass knows no limits. So as he celebrates his birthday today, it doesn’t feel like just another milestone. It feels like the testimony of everything he has conquered.