Dear Diane and Shaded Viewers,
After seven and a half years presenting his collections in Paris, Manish Arora has decided to open his first flagship store in the centre of the city, and yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting him there.
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The space is of course colourful, shiny and fun with a mosaic of glass on the back wall and distractingly beautiful clothes all around. And the pink exterior and large windows that cover almost the whole front face are certainly something that would amuse even the most staunchly colour-hating Parisian. “We are about happiness and welcoming people in. We are Indians!”
“From the beginning, I didn’t think of making the space anything but open. When I was young, I didn’t know about stores or fashion but I was often intimidated by stores and I hated this. I didn’t want anyone to be intimidated. Exclusivity is not what the brand is about. I know this might not be very Parisian but it’s the way we are. Mind you, Paris has really embraced me since the beginning.”
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You might remember that Manish Arora won Best Film at ASVOFF 6 for Holi Holy, and so I asked why he didn’t have an entry this year; “I was going to make a film this year but I had to do the shop! But it’s because of Diane that I had the confidence to make that film. She encouraged me when I thought I could never do something like that!”
Manish will present his new collection today at Paris Fashion Week. The store on Rue Rouget de L’Isle opens on October 10th.
Happy Thursday
Sophie Joy
