17.2.11

When he knew he wanted to be a designer: At age 13



BIBHU MOHAPATRA

February 15, 2011 - 10:28am — BSTV Team
Bibhu Mohapatra
Occupation: 
 Fashion Designer, Entrepreneur
Home: 
 NYC; hails from Orissa, India
First thing he consumes in the a.m.: The news. “I read theNY Times on my iPhone while in bed.”

How he stays fit:  Stays physically fit by running, walking and doing yoga, and keeps mentally fit by escaping to the country on weekends to cook and read

Wearing: Vintage pea coat; Albertelli cashmere scarf; Targett-shirt; Pepe jeans

Personal style: Tough-smart

When he knew he wanted to be a designer: At age 13

If he weren’t a designer, what he’d be: An architect

Other designers he admires: Azzedine Alaia, Alexander McQueen, Gareth Pugh

Advice he’d give to anyone entering his field:  “Strike the balance between art and commerce, creativity and practicality.”

Advice on how you can dress your best:  “Peek into yourself and there lies the clues.”

Wardrobe essentials: “Tailored crisp white shirts, tailored jacket and slim-fit raw denim.”

Favorite item in his current collection: The "Date" dress

What he'd never be caught dead wearing: A wig—“unless I’m at a costume ball.”

Cheap thrill: Wes Craven movie marathon

Worth the splurge: A pair of handmade boots from a favorite Florentine shoemaker and the finest cologne

Signature scent: Terre D'Hermes

Always in his bag: A sketch book

Fave eateries: Cafe Luxembourg, Freemans, Bar Boulud, and Flor de Mayo “for the best roast chicken in the whole world."

Top online shop: Amazon

Fave real-world shops: Bergdorf Goodman in NYC and Harvey Nichols and Browns in London

Book that's bedside now: The Crucible by Arthur Miller

All-time fave travel destination: Yalikavak, on the Aegean coast of Turkey

How he's reducing his carbon footprint: Bicycling to work and walking a lot

Charities he supports:  The Komen Foundation, Breakthrough, and New Yorkers for Children

Photo by Bruno Gaget
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Bibhu Mohapatra Fall2011

THE EMPERORS OLD CLOTHES

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2011


Bibhu Mohapatra Fall2011


This collection which took place a couple of days ago at the Box of Lincoln Center was packed to the roof with heavies. All the top stores led by Bergdorf Goodman's Linda Fargo were jostling through the crush to get a closer look. There were looks for day and evening all cleverly woven together on a central platform. Periodically the models would shift position so that ones that were sitting would walk then stand and vice versa. In this way you saw the clothes move and shift position which showed the collection's cohesion. Everything was rich in detail. Fur combined with leather over sleek trousers and sexy blouses along with great coats over dresses for day. The mood became more complex for evening with dresses and gowns that were almost cubist in their construction. From one angle some were all artful draping and then from another angle they possessed a series of shifting planes. They looked architectural with a marriage of the solid with the liquid.



Bibhu is one of the few designers who never settles for an easy solution. His interests lie in the studied and complex nature of design. I admire his commitment and the fact that he's hands on. You can see clearly the love and effort that goes into the creation of his collections. Too few designers today roll up their sleeves and do the actual work.

POSTED BY FLUFF CHANCE AT 1:53 PM  
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Fall 2011 Bibhu Mohapatra RTW slide show


Bibhu Mohapatra Fall 2011 rtw

After a decade designing for J. Mendel and Halston, India- born Mohapatra introduced his first collection two years ago. Now his skillfully draped gowns and elegant dresses hang at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, at prices ranging from $1,700 to $5,000. Last month he received one of the $25,000 awards that Italian winemaker Ecco Domani gives to seven fashion designers each year.

Bibhu Mohapatra F/W 2011


Bibhu Mohapatra F/W 2011

by NICOLE
No Gravatar
Inspired by Author Miller’s classic play, The Crucible, Bibhu Mohapatra really created something magical. Theatrical smoke filled the room and Mozart played in the background as guests entered to view the presentation. Drawing inspiration from the time of the Salem witch trials, the Fall/Winter 2011 presentation was dark and elegant. This collection featured touches of crows feathers, lace, silk, embossed leather and fur.
Bibhu Mohapatra FW 2011
The Fall 2011 palette featured (of course) black as well as olive and antique gold. Several pieces had fur detailing on the sleeves and jacket collars and most of the models wore leather gloves and/or chokers. I must say that the collection was quite impressive and one of the best that I’ve seen so far this fashion week. I’m sure that PETA will not be happy with the heavy usage of fur but this collection is enough to make any fashionistas’ heart sing. Bravo.
Bibhu Mohapatra FW 2011 presentation

16.2.11

Bibhu Mohapatra FALL 2011 COLLECTION, MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK


Elle Catwalk | Bibhu Mohapatra | Elleuk.com

Elle Catwalk | Bibhu Mohapatra | Elleuk.com

WWD.com bibhu fall 2011


Bibhu Mohapatra RTW Fall 2011

Posted TUESDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2011
From WWD.COM
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“A collection of complementary extremes,” is how Bibhu Mohapatra described his fall lineup. He drew on Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” and “the journey of self, darkness and light, and black magic” it entailed. That’s a lot to express through eveningwear. In fact, the only thing Mohapatra’s collection seemed to have in common, at least superficially, with Salem society of yore was a flair for the dramatic. The gowns and cocktail dresses were darkly seductive and extremely sophisticated, a sensibility heightened by inky feathered gloves. These were not simple clothes. They were done in deep jewel tones and decorated with structural folds and asymmetric cuts. One ultrasexy, slinky black gown was spliced high around the neck with a single long sleeve, slit under the arm, done in shiny black sequins. Daywear was as dressed up as it gets with modern takes on luxe furs and worn over draped trousers and thick, pleated skirts. Mohapatra said his sales have been steadily doubling every season, and it’s easy to see why stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Hirshleifer’s find his clothes distinctive.

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12.2.11

Banking on Bibhu Mohapatra

Banking on Bibhu Mohapatra

News

NEWS & SCOOPS
2011 February 11

Banking on Bibhu Mohapatra

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Bibhu Mohapatra at his NYC apartmentBibhu Mohapatra at his NYC apartment
Giorgio NiroView Gallery
(NEW YORK) From The Daily in print! Repeat afternous: Bee-boo Mow-ha-patra. Because chances are, you’re going to be pronouncing it a lot this year. A veteran of J.Mendel, Bibhu Mohapatra launched his eponymous collection in February 2009. The FGI’s Rising Star Award followed in 2010, along with induction into the CFDA. Now running his studio out of the CFDA’s Incubator space in Midtown, Bibhu is fully prepared to exceed the fashion world’s very high expectations. BY MARIA DENARDO
What don’t we know about Gilles? Every time we went out, we went to a specific deli: Katz’s.


Did Gilles teach you French? "C’est beau.” I think it means beautiful or something.


You designed a lot of fur. Do you have residual nightmares about PETA? No, but I’ve had some experiences. I respect the passion. One time, I was going to a Vogue event with Gilles, and as we got out of the car, we were almost attacked by activists. I just remember thinking, “Dude, what is going on?”


What do you want to be known for as a designer? My goal is to make clothes that have a life beyond one season. If you buy something from me, I’d like it to work with most of the things in your closet and for you to make many stories with it. It’s all about my product. Without my craft, I am nothing.
You’ve got a way with long gowns and embroidery. What’s most in demand from you these days?
The most expensive pieces, the eveningwear, sell best for me. If I offer my client something like a very sporty daywear separate, it doesn’t really resonate at this point.

For Fall 2011, your theme is “opposites, contrast, and ritual.” Who’s your opposite in the industry?
Bob Mackie.
What’s the opposite of fashion designer?
An accountant. Oh, my God. I’m going to be killed for that. Maybe we should say a statistician?
Where do you produce your collection?
Everything is made in New York. I want to support my industry people here who are trying really hard to stay open.

Is your name often mispronounced?
Oh, boy. Especially by telemarketers. They usually get my first name, but my last… I can see them stumbling down the hill with it. You know what’s so funny? The people from the call centers are Indian, and so is my name. But every time, they mess it up. And I call them out on it. I’m like, “What is your name?” And he says something like “Sanja.” Really?

Is there any friendly competition among the designers at the CFDA Incubator?
Not really. But the CFDA has a Facebook page, and every time something gets published, they very nicely put it up. Sometimes, you feel like you should aspire to that.

Do you guys all hang out?
Yeah, my good friends here are Waris [Ahluwalia] and Prabal [Gurung]. We make fun of each other. I always tease Waris that he’s not Indian.

So where’s the best place to take a first date?
A lobster dinner at El Quixote in the Chelsea Hotel. It’s called the “daily double”—$29 for two lobsters and lots of vegetables.

You went to FIT, but you first studied at Utah State. Why? I needed to come to America to do an undergraduate degree and get funding. I was practical. I had a cousin in Utah who was getting her Ph.D. in economics, and she told me to come here. I got a scholarship and got my foot in.

What were your weekends like?
We went hiking a lot—road trips in the canyon. We’d have a picnic. I can cook a crazy shrimp curry. I remember the very first time I saw snow there.
I was living in this basement apartment with little tiny windows. Kind of like No Country for Old Men. I remember this white blanket. I sat outside freezing, trying to touch the snow and rub it all over my face. I went skiing a few times. I went to a couple of frat parties with all these boys, but I didn’t drink. I never had alcohol until I came to America. I was trying to make sense of it. The whole not-drinking thing changed pretty quickly. I started with red wine, but one glass would knock me out.
Did you have a job while you were in school?
Yes. I had to look for a job with only 20 hours. So there was a job board on campus, and they had a position at the University Inn. I told my cousin, “I don’t know, but it says something like ‘janitor!’ ” I had no idea what a janitor was. I thought it was like an office position, like an accountant. I met the manager, who introduced me to Jay. Jay appears, a very nice man in his 70s with a big bunch of keys hanging from his overalls. I was a little discouraged. It was minimum wage, $4.25 an hour. I had to clean all the offices, vacuum, and clean eight toilets. For the first two weeks, I would walk into one of the rooms and cry. But it’s okay. Someone had to do it, and I’m not above it. I did it for nine months. I could clean toilets like nobody’s business.

Did you know any polygamists?
I saw some people who might be. I would see the same person with different families at grocery stores. I had some Mormon friends. Sometimes I would feel pressure to convert, but I was born Hindu, and I have my own way of thinking about religion. I had a few awkward moments, but overall it was a great time. Maybe I was just simpler then.

So what don’t we know about you?
I’m not moody, but I am a Gemini. I spend time in cemeteries; I love reading the inscriptions on the gravestones. I have a very dark side. That’s why I’m having such a good time making this collection.
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Hillary Swank in Bibhu Mohapatra

Hillary Swank in Bibhu Mohapatra
on way to Late show in New York

Me

Me
in the studio

Bibhu Mohapatra fall 2009 Presentation