Bibhu Mohapatra (Q3895)
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Bibhu Mohapatra is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Bibhu Mohapatra |
Bibhu Mohapatra is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
Every season, Bibhu Mohapatra channels a specific muse for his collection, from Georgia O’Keefe to Françoise Hardy. For spring 2025, the designer set his sights on the writer, singer, and artist Patti Smith. But don’t expect an offering filled with Smith’s trademark style—there were no Breton shirts or field jackets here. Instead, Mohapatra’s collection incorporated colorful striped jacquards and beaded tulles, mini shift dresses and organza gowns—perhaps even the antithesis of what one would conjure when thinking of Patti Smith’s largely androgynous wardrobe. But Mohapatra never intended to reproduce the artist’s clothes in his offering. Instead, uses his muses as a lens to inform his approach rather than direct inspiration. “I didn’t want to do her style and her choices in clothing,” he said.During the early stages of moodboarding, Mohapatra returned to his native India with his parents’ and brother’s ashes to perform their final rites. “I went on a very spiritual pilgrimage,” he said. “That changed something in my head, as I’m sitting there in the middle of this conference of the universe.” When he returned, he became transfixed by Smith’s writing. “It really takes me to places where I can be—because I’m processing a lot of grief and a lot of so her poetry is also super heavy,” he said. “But you can also find optimism there.”That optimism shone through in Mohapatra’s ethereal bent, like the layered lattice point d’esprit dresses, flowing chiffon gown, and embroidered organza and tulle pieces. Going forward, he would benefit from leaning into that organic, bohemian sensibility, whereas some of the more structural pieces—particularly those rendered in faille—felt outdated.This season, Mohapatra is launching denim—a byproduct of opening a brick and mortar store post-lockdown. By connecting with his community in a physical space, he was able to field his customer’s needs. He also hopes it will be an opportunity to introduce younger clients to the brand. “Maybe her mother is our client for the dresses, and it allows her to enter into a more approachable price point,” he said. Perhaps, he postured, she’s a Patti Smith fan, too. “She’s youthful,” he said of his denim buyer. “She discovered Patti, and then she’s manifesting Patti.” But whether this will help expand the label to a younger clientele will reveal itself in due time. Smith said it best: “Who can know the heart of youth but youth itself?” She was talking about business acumen here, right?
11 September 2024
As always, Bibhu Mohapatra has a theme and muses—this season, it’s Françoise Hardy and Georgia O’Keeffe meeting in a garden—but they are mostly beside the point. Silhouette, textiles, and craftsmanship are the real story here. Let’s start with embroidery; of note is a relatively restrained exploded grid pattern of abstract florals with an Art Deco feeling whose effect changes pleasingly depending on the placement and ground fabric. Mohapatra has also created a series of looks using trellis-like lace panels, which look best when applied to a sheer white skirt and pussybow blouse.Less expected is Mohapatra’s mixing of different floral jacquards. This quickly becomes overly complicated when pleats, for example, enter the picture as well; a dress and evening set in a single jacquard is more successful. As to silhouette, Mohapatra is noncommittal. A bubble skirt, higher waists, and strong shoulders built out with pads take a step in the direction of ’80s boldness, but rather than go all in, these commingle with more standard evening fare. A skirt with wings is all drama in the back and has some of the spirit and shape associated with the golden age of couture. It has promise for further development. Commercially, this collection offers something for everyone, but it lacks conviction editorially; Mohapatra didn’t commit to pushing his designs in one direction or the other.
10 June 2024
In his 16 years in business, Bibhu Mohapatra has staged just one evening show. That changed tonight when he presented his latest collection at The Pierre hotel, an ideal setting for the kind of elaborate occasionwear the designer is known for. It was also a big change from last season, when the runway was actually Mohapatra’s work and shop space.The past few seasons have been a bit bumpy for the designer, and seeing more cohesion for fall was nice. Politics were less in the equation than usual, and he seemed more relaxed and in the mood to have fun, much as he imagined his heroine to be. Mohapatra’s reference was the photographer Helmut Newton’s pictures of women in the late ’70s and ’80s. “There are always two things about his work: He made women powerful but also made them into objects,” said the designer preshow. “And he shot mostly white women, except for Grace Jones.” Mohapatra’s key takeaways from all this were power, fetish, and flesh.There were few daring displays of skin in this collection; rather the designer used sheer insets to reveal peeks of it. Using a wide black corset belt to cinch the waist on an ivory Alençon lace gown (Look 29) created a nice dissonance, as did latex leggings under sheer skirts. A Stockman-style tunic paired with a tulle skirt, both with the same beaded embellishment, was elegant and simple; ditto a matching apron-front peplum top and skirt set with strass and Yves Klein blue (the designer’s color of the season) applied in stripes.Mohapatra teamed up again with Janavi India for scarves and also knitwear, a category that should play well in his boutique. There was still some awkwardness in silhouettes and the placement of the sheer panels, but the strong-shoulder finale dress was a showstopper. Eat your heart out, Alexis Carrington.
13 February 2024
Presenting his spring runway show in his atelier/shop for the first time was a bit like inviting people to his home, said Bibhu Mohapatra. Everything was up close and personal, including most of the clothes, which was a plus.The designer—who has a penchant for pointed angles, dramatic geometric asymmetries, and sharp pleats—softened things a bit for spring by using curvier lines. Waist-defining blazer jackets, he noted, aimed to borrow from “Jazz Age men’s tailoring.” This is an era the designer is drawn to often, and it resurfaced for spring in column dresses with sort of apron fronts and double shoulder straps. There was a lot of fringe as well.Leading the path this time was the artist Augusta Savage, whose work Mohapatra sees as having a synergy with Simone Leigh, who represented the United States at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Mohapatra said he wanted to create a bridge between these two Black female sculptors and his own work without being too literal. The result was molded bodices that twisted like petals and were a turn in the right direction after a few seasons of collections that seemed to check boxes without much emotion.Of note were the perforated veil-like sunglasses (see Look 19) that take their motif from a proprietary lace; they are part of a collaboration between Mohapatra and Ic! Berlin.
14 September 2023
On a recent trip to Ischia, Bibhu Mohapatra visited La Mortella Gardens and found the color palette for his resort collection. It is part of the estate once occupied by the British composer Sir William Walton and his green-thumbed Argentinian wife Susanna, who worked with the landscape architect Richard Page to create its subtropical wonder.The creation of the retreat on rocky and elevated terrain was literally an uphill battle, and for the past few seasons it has felt that Mohapatra has been struggling to find his footing as well. The fall collection looked like tug of war between Mohapatra the designer and Mohapatra the retailer. (The brand has recently moved into new headquarters that will house an atelier and selling space.) Resort finds him going in many directions at once, and the result is that a collection that fails to come together as a whole. How a pink cotton boho dress and a light as air embellished mesh dress coexist isn’t clear; they read as one-offs rather than part of a connected narrative.If you look at Mohapatra’s body of work, his preference for geometries is evident. Squares cut into a skirt self-drape asymmetrically at both sides. A two-tone black and green dress with sharply cut inserts has a refreshingly straightforward graphic appeal. A white column gown with horizontal bust darts and a fringed cape back was similarly focused on construction rather than embellishment. But this was a heavy collection overall. Dripping sleeves and floor-sweeping hems are more likely to drag the wearer down rather than set her free.
14 June 2023
Another season, another muse? It seems that Bibhu Mohapatra adds a new name—or two—to his pantheon of strong women with each collection. For fall, however, his interest in Nancy Cunard, the heiress, writer, political activist, and style maker who was famously photographed by Man Ray in 1926 wearing stacks of bangles, and who inspired a 2015 Mohapatra collection, was rekindled. The designer explained that he became acquainted with his muse by coming across her biography while taking the Cunard transatlantic line from New York to Southampton. The fall show opened and closed with a reading of Cunard’s “Wheels,” a poem, said the designer backstage, that “points towards what I want to be as a person.”Mohapatra’s collection could have used a little more poetry. There were touches of it here and there, like a bow on the back of a dress or the soft fall of a pleated dress, but overall it trod familiar territory. You can always count on Mohapatra for plissé, embellishments, and a dramatic sleeve treatment (this season it was a cutout at the shoulder). The embroideries on tulle always delight: one such dress in lightest blue was an airy delight. Pairing a sheer black jeweled tunic with trousers was unexpected and looked modern. Two pantsuits, one for day in rich brown, and one for evening in a metallic tweed, continued that thought.Now that the designer is also a retailer, having opened his own boutique, separates are becoming a more important part of his offering. A midi skirt with beadwork was a nice idea, but might have been better in a woven than the unwieldy vegan leather that was a mainstay of this line-up. Also retail-related was Mohapatra’s collaboration with a women-led scarf brand, Janavi India. The designer, who looked dashing when taking his bow in one of their fringed neck pieces, indicated that there might be an in-store activation with the brand. As lovely as they were, however, the scarves were overused in the styling of the show, obscuring the garments.
13 February 2023
The past few years have been a rollercoaster for Bibhu Mohapatra. Professionally it’s been mostly peaks; the designer was invited to design costumes for the Washington National Opera and he’s ecstatic about having signed a 10-year lease for a new store at 174 Duane Street in New York. However, he said, “I have been constantly struggling with the loss of my brother to Covid.”The designer has tried to counter sadness by creating collections “from a point of activism and human rights issues.” For spring, he looked for “a protagonist that provided me with a point of view of optimism and hope,” and landed once again on Claude Cahun, the late German artist and activist who proposed the idea of a “third sex.” Mohapatra was particularly interested in Cahun’s use of masks to alter her appearance in self-portraits, and abstracted that idea. “Instead of using masks in the literal sense, I have tried to create many renditions of the Bibhu woman,” he said.Who is she? Someone partial to dresses and dressing up, with a respect for handicraft and a taste for traditionally feminine touches. This season’s floral was taken from an etching that was printed on silk, and several designs featured laser-cut lace. Mohapatra was in sync with many other designers this season who are raising the waist; he did so with a strap under the breasts or with a corselet, and with sheers over solids. Some of the fabric mixes were jarring, and the asymmetric hems on many of the dresses would have been better served by a shorter length. A pretty blue pouf dress was weighed down by a plisse side train, but overall, Mohapatra practiced restraint this season.There were a number of sheath dresses with just the right amount of beading, and the designer’s use of monochrome really showed off his signature draped wing sleeve. Most newsy was the high/low look Mohapatra achieved in look three: a lace top paired with striped Japanese denim cut into wide-leg pants with piping details.When Mohapatra moved his studio downtown, he also created a storefront, and he has been able to interact closely with his customers. Not all walk-ins will want a major evening look; some might be swayed by a draped floral mini or gold sequin tank. Evening separates feel modern.
13 September 2022
Feminism and female artists are themes that Bibhu Mohapatra turns to again and again. While the specific narratives he builds around his collections are important to his process, they’re not easy to find in the clothes. The message is clearly and consistently woman-centric though; the seasonal story really revolves around the fabrics and decorative motifs.For resort, Mohapatra focused on familiar silhouettes in specific material groupings. Cotton was used for the less formal pieces and silk faille for both cocktail and gala looks. Velvets—including a mindress made of carefully aligned strips of fabric—were aimed for holiday dressing. In addition, there were pretty laces and 3D flower flourishes.Actor Kelli O’Hara wore one of Mohapatra’s more clean-lined looks to the Tony Awards, a white column with a halter neck and a corsage of dimensional black flowers. It would be extreme to call it an outlier, but the majority of the collection featured vibrant colors. One sheath combined burgundy, pink, and an almost neon orange, which is also the hue of a lace that wafted lightly over a plisse gown of softest lavender.
16 June 2022
Bibhu Mohapatra’s been designing theater costumes alongside his ready-to-wear, and his fall lineup was defined by theatricality, in conception and execution. Two fearsome characters, Salome and Elektra, were the season’s muses, and they inspired clothes that verged on the aggressive and excessive.Made of patent leather, the opening looks were strident body-con numbers, followed by others cut in a silk faille so thick it looked as if it were padded. Foliage embroidery on a coat and dress looked like it might grow; also off-kilter were some of the asymmetries. A pleated gold lamé dress cut to reveal a half blue velvet torso was confusing; the technique was better employed on the finale look, worn by the legendary Beverly Johnson.The success of Mohapatra’s costumes for theWashington National Opera,which built on ideas introduced in his airy spring collection, was in how well they suited the individual performers. Perhaps it was because the designer’s fall muses were fictional that many of these clothes had something of a superhero vibe that felt disconnected both from the usual social whirl and from his past work, which was represented in overtly feminine looks like 31 and 32.If Mohapatra explored new ground aesthetically this season, he stayed grounded in his values. A longtime advocate for women’s rights and inclusivity, the designer proudly explained that this season, “the whole cast was people of color.” As always, Mohapatra made use of and highlighted the incredible skills of workers in his home country of India: Note the delicately cut velvet “lace” used throughout.
15 February 2022
Where a collection starts isn’t always where it ends, as was the case today at Bibhu Mohapatra. The designer citedInsurgent Museby Terry Wolverton as his inspiration. The book is about the Woman’s Building, founded in Los Angeles in 1973 as a safe space for lesbian and feminist culture. The pro-women message was reinforced when Mohapatra took his bow in a T-shirt that readHer Body = Her Choice(a reference to the antiabortion ruling in Texas).Spring’s lineup was the most pared back he’s ever presented. The embellishments were moderate, and the main focus was on body-revealing sheaths and columns rather than more voluminous and cumbersome princess frocks. Ujjwala Raut showed how they should be worn with the confidence of a powerful woman. Most of the rest of the cast seemed very young and didn’t have Raut’s presence.The airiness of the space (Spring Studios) complemented the lightness of pieces like crystal-embroidered tulle dresses. The palette, lots of ivory and green, was very optimistic. It was the season’s print that felt heavy.The unexpected addition of fringe added movement and interest to lace dresses. A gown with a chiffon sleeve and floating train was a showstopper, as were, in a very different way, the pieces in Supima denim that paid homage to Claire McCardell. “What’s more American than Claire McCardell?!” Mohapatra exclaimed postshow when asked about his references. With “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” opening at the Costume Institute, this was good timing, but it was also time for a change, he said.Mohapatra recently opened his first store, and he is now interacting with the women who come in, not all of whom are looking for red carpet confections, though they may long for them. “It’s my nod to having more useful things, more day things,” he said. “We really wanted to make a very focused collection to present to the world that we are changing.” That message was welcomed and well received.
10 September 2021
Recently life’s been like a rollercoaster ride for Bibhu Mohapatra. The up trajectory is marked by the opening of his first store, in Tribeca, where the designer has also relocated his studio. But this good news has been tempered by tragedy: the unthinkable loss of his brother to COVID.Though tempted to create an all-black collection, Mohapatra, determined to remain positive, used it as a contrast, as on the side stripe and lining on a white gown. If the color-blocked dresses felt heavy handed, a better balance was achieved in a cotton dress with puffed sleeves that bloomed with flowers.Unable to travel to India, and mindful of costs, much of the collection was made using upcycled fabrics and treatments. Among them was Mogul-inspired beadwork that festooned a pink cocktail dress and the black coat worn over it.
14 July 2021
“I liked the challenge,” said Bibhu Mohapatra of designing a collection during a pandemic. The need to find creative solutions, the designer said, brought to mind the days when he was dreaming up his first collection back during the recession of 2008 in a shoebox apartment. Following that thread, he carefully studied his archive, pulling and refining classics. Resources might have been limited, but Mohapatra made no compromises on quality, inside or out. “We are doing fewer pieces, but everything is made to last forever,” he stressed.The designer and his collection felt freer and lighter for fall. Thankfully the main drag on the line-up had little impact on the actual garments. This was an overcomplicated and perhaps unnecessary backstory about two relationships: between the poet Langston Hughes and arts patron A’Lelia Walker during the Harlem Renaissance; and that of the painter Gustav Klimt and Emilie Flöge in late 1900s Vienna. (The latter inspired a caftan with beautiful pleated side insets.) There was romance enough in the clothes.Mohapatra, who’s generally besotted with volume, stuck mainly with more body conscious silhouettes for fall, which met the moment. More old-fashioned was the designer’s use of a rose motif, which was introduced via a flocked canvas fabric. Keeping with the “green” theme, his use of vegan leather meant more day wear pieces at more accessible price points. It was used on a pleated skirt and top ensemble and on the collection’s most unexpected and charming piece: A quilted velvet and “leather” “puffer poncho capelet” in an eye-opening shade of pink. “I always love a fuchsia because I’m Indian,” said Mohapatra with a twinkle in his eye.
17 February 2021
Like many people, Bibhu Mohapatra went through a range of emotions during the lockdown, which he spent in a small town in upstate New York. When he returned to his atelier in June none of his pre-pandemic planning made sense, leaving the designer at a crossroads: To show or not to show?He was propelled to continue by the arrival of some custom orders—apparently while many of us are still in sweatpants Mohapatra’s clients are starting to turn it up a notch for intimate family affairs—and he decided to go forward and see what he could do with what he had at hand, including the sewing machine he had when he was just starting out. “I feel like whatever I have built in the last 10 years, people that I have met, relationships that I have built, those are going to be with me no matter what. And that’s what I was empowered with.”Thus emboldened, Mohapatra set out on a mission, to showcase the spring collection in a film about the artist Amrita Sher-Gil, working with an entirely BIPOC crew. “I wanted to make sure that I collaborated with people like myself,” the designer said, “persons of color who are always sort of compromised because of how they were packaged.”In her short but intense life Sher-Gil, a Hungarian-Indian artist of great talent challenged many societal norms, and Mohapatra is attracted to her tough, “nevertheless she persisted” attitude. The film, conceived in three scenes, shows the artist overcoming a block, beginning to create again, and finally letting loose. Co-directed by Shruiti Ganguly and JD Urban, it is set to an original verse by Navkriat Sodhi, and stars dancer and actor Ariana DeBose (of Hamilton fame) as the Muse, Surina Jindal as Amrita, with Leah Brown and Michelle Enoch. The film is a brief enchantment that combines a loose plot with close-ups of the fabrics and colors that make Mohapatra’s work distinct. In fact it creates a halo effect around a collection that doesn’t tread as much new ground as the short.Still, there are many looks to want. Those searching for motivation to get dressed again should consider the fringed pieces a call to action. There was a greater emphasis on less formal occasion dressing than princessey big evening looks, which felt in keeping with the times, relatively speaking. A white denim suit with elaborate silver embroidery is about as casual as Mohapatra gets.
17 September 2020
This was the Bibhu Mohapatra collection I have been waiting for since the aughts, when we first became acquainted. At our first meeting the designer showed me a coat that was a wonder of handcraft and architecture, but which looked to me like it belonged in a museum rather than on a woman’s body. What it was missing was a lightness of being, a sense of the fabric working with, rather than around, the body. For fall 2020 Mohapatra ticked all these boxes with flourish in a confident and joyful collection that had the audience swooning. People were literally gasping with delight at some of the looks (and maybe also at seeing Ujjwala Raut back on the catwalk).You wouldn’t know it from watching the winged dresses and “cloud” tops waft down the runway, but this collection “came from a dark place,” according to Mohapatra. Clearly he journeyed past that and into the light. The designer had been reading Amrita Pritam’s 1950 novel,Pinjar,a story about the complex lives of women during the partition of India, and started wondering if, some 70 years later, enough has been done for Indian women. Mohapatra thought, “I can make some sort of statement, but if the clothes are not pretty, then I fail at my craft,” and chose instead to celebrate Indian women, in particular, those who have shaped him, though he clarified, “This is not my India collection.”Pleating, a Mohapatra specialty, is everywhere for fall, which gave the opening look, a cotton plissé dress, extra oomph. It was refreshing to see the designer finding his footing with daywear—and pants. He showed a pair of lacquered velvet dhoti pants with beautiful flow and a touch of disco flair that someone has to wear to the opening of theStudio 54exhibition coming to the Brooklyn Museum.What keeps Mohapatra’s customers on their toes are his incredibly crafted occasion dresses. For fall he combined lightness with restraint (see look 21) that gave women the power; the models really owned their looks, these dresses didn’t wear them. There were shades of Madame Grès in look 27, a cape-backed, draped gown, and a perfect balance of structure and flow, not to mention the prettiest shade of pink, in a chiffon-skirted strapless number featuring Mughal architecture-inspired embroidery (look 33). It was nice to see column dresses mixed in among poufier, more princess-like ones, such as a light-as-air pyramid with glittering Mughal tree motifs.
Proof that Mohapatra really is walking the walk came when he took a bow alongside his team, the majority of whom are women.
11 February 2020
It’s said that with age comes wisdom; in Bibhu Mohapatra’s case it also seems to have brought a newfound sense of freedom. Building a brand is an uphill struggle; having passed the 10-year mark with his fall 2019 collection, this designer seems to be enjoying the view. There was a new and refreshing airiness to his work for spring—despite having one of the heaviest backstories.An optimist, Mohapatra had already set his palette of mango, blue, and pink shades when he discoveredNothing Personal, a book by Richard Avedon and James Baldwin that considered American identity in words and pictures. More than 50 years later, it’s still a hot topic that’s being examined in courtrooms and classrooms, and even on catwalks. This important 1960s work seemed to guide the Indian-born designer to focus on qualities like strength, originality, and diversity that he feels are most American. It was an examination that led to the collection being “nothing but personal,” as he put it. Mohapatra decided to demonstrate his “craft and what I really bring to the table. I decided,” he said, “not to get bothered by what is expected of me so much.” It felt like a window had been opened.This was one of Mohapatra’s most confident and relaxed collections. Always partial to architectural shapes, in the past these have sometimes resulted in pieces that seem to house the body stiffly. Not this season. Pleated tulle let the light in, as did guipure lace and point d’esprit. Rhinestones, some of which swung in pendant strands from cocktail sheaths, met their match in the diamond jewelry collection the designer introduced this season.Not low (as in high/low), but definitely not gala evening, were a Supima denim dress and luxe wide-legged jeans that could be dressed up or down. The use of cotton shirts to layer under a dress felt fresh here, and a shirtdress with a removable, glittering embroidered tulle top also gave the customer options for day and night. Many designers have been fixated on the 1980s of late; Mohapatra revisited the pouf silhouette of that era in a way that felt fresh, fun, and very him.There was honesty and transparency in this collection; the designer even revealed his alter ego via a custom pink and orange jacquard, which is better for show than the saleroom, that read “B The One.” “It’s my secret nom de plume on social media accounts where I can be political and sort of raise my voice,” Mohapatra explained.
There was no need to shout about looks such as an off-the-shoulder dress with a train or the finale gown of over-embroidered point d’esprit—they embodied glamour.
10 September 2019
In the process of renovating a historic 19th-century house in upstate New York, Bibhu Mohapatra discovered period newspapers that had been used for insulation. This sparked his interest in researching old New York through periodicals and maps. Mohapatra’s pieces were loosely tethered to this theme, and the better for it. One needn’t know that the checks and plaids (the best rendered in full-on sequins) or the abstract linear pattern on a rose-color gown mimicked maps of city streets to appreciate the appeal of their hotline bling.The home base of the Bibhu woman, whom he describes as an “urban nomad,” is the city that never sleeps. Lavishly embellished, big evening clothes made for dancing until dawn are what the designer is known for and what clients like Céline Dion and June Ambrose—who wore a look from the Resort 2020 collection to the CFDA Awards—come to him for.That’s not to say there aren’t day options in his new Resort collection, but they stay within the ladylike range. A passementerie-trimmed white cotton blouse and wide-leg pants is about as casual at Mohapatra gets. It would be interesting to see how his separates would look if styled differently or if some of his occasion pieces were convertible, i.e. a formal gown that could be worn as a total look, or as a top and skirt to be mixed and matched.
18 June 2019
With streetwear and comfort driving the industry, there were a few seasons in which eveningwear was looking a bit outmoded and formal. But it’s come back in a big way—just look at the Grammys red carpet Sunday night, where volume and drama were the big news. Part of this renewed interest in dressing up must be credited to Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli, whose commitment to craft and couture has elevated the collective eye. Instagram plays a role, of course, and then there’s the sheer contrast between chunky grandpa sneakers and a bedazzled dream dress.There were a number of the latter in Bibhu Mohapatra’s fall collection, where there was also much good will in the air, as the designer was celebrating his 10th anniversary. What he’s learned? “It’s more important now than ever to tell an authentic story. It’s not always enough just to do beautiful things,” he said. “Authentic Bibhu is the juxtaposition of opposites.” So, a collection that was nominally inspired by a visit to the historical gardens of Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland was really brought to life by a source close to home. Many of the patterns and embroideries were inspired by the work of Mohapatra’s partner, the artist Bobby Beard.Mohapatra is a designer who favors structure; for fall he tried to capture the shapes of petals in the construction of his gowns. Some of these experiments were more successful than others. Accustomed to the feel of comfort, the eye is drawn to ease as well, and it was to be found here in the flow of a streamer, the soft wrap of a furry coat, the fall of a pleat, and the swing of a bouffant skirt. Especially ripe for plucking was a crystal-embellished LBD festooned with feathers and a shocking pink tulle dance dress with spangled embroidery that balanced a simple, clean silhouette. It featured the amazing handcraft that has distinguished Mohapatra’s work for a decade now, and will do so, we hope, for many more to come.
11 February 2019
Charles Dickens’sGreat Expectationshas inspired countless designers in the past, but Bibhu Mohapatra struck on one of the novel’s less explored relationships this season: that between Miss Havisham and Estella during the latter’s childhood, when she is being groomed. “It’s about that relationship and Estella finding her individuality, which is, of course, important today,” the designer explained backstage.There were a lot of lavish jewel-toned fur coats, plus a few with a painted oil-slick effect, and other period-esque details, like silver thread worked into guipure lace and mini silk turbans embellished with beaded dragons. Mohapatra pointed to a print of two orchids, one lush and red and full of life (Estella), the other rendered in gray scale (Havisham), but was keen to explain that, even near death, an orchid has beauty.The collection’s most notable addition, however, was the debut of Sashi by Bibhu, a capsule of contemporary separates at a more “introductory price,” as Mohapatra put it—a bordeaux wool miniskirt for $600 as opposed to a crystal-embellished cream version for $1,400. Touchingly named after his mother, who first taught him to sew (“An Indian mother teaching her young son to sew, can you imagine?” he said fondly), Sashi will expand in the near future, perhaps into its own dedicated sub-label. Here, the velvet turtleneck tees and sweatshirts were seamlessly mixed in with the other showpieces, which proves at least that Mohapatra has his own individual point of view that carries through all he does.
9 February 2018
Bibhu Mohapatra has been considering the state of the world today—specifically travel bans and how they have made cross-cultural exchange more difficult. A few months back, the designer stumbled across an article on famous women explorers. “When we talk about explorers, it’s always male names, but there were so many female explorers from this country alone: Nellie Bly, of course Amelia Earhart,” he said.From there, Mohapatra made a creative leap. He imagined a woman heading to Japan in the early 20th century and absorbing the culture she found there. (Notable were the photographs from Park Chan-wook’sThe Handmaidenpinned to his mood board; though Japanese dress does appear in the film, it is set in Japanese-occupied Korea.) Despite the surprising concept, Mohapatra hoped to honor Japan in a fresh way and did study the history. Instead of the kimono, he reinterpreted the underpinnings that traditionally stayed hidden beneath it. The idea was nice, but the execution could have been smoother in some places; the subtle tube-shaped accentuation of the waist worked better than sporadic shapewear strapped over dresses. There were nods to kimono shapes with wrapped fronts and dramatic off-the-shoulder pieces. Many of the fabrics were made in Japan; a few were ramie linens from India. Among the mature women in the front row, a lace inset sheath and wine-color beaded gown drew audible gasps. They were craving something for a special occasion, and Mohapatra delivered.
8 September 2017
Things are on the upswing for Bibhu Mohapatra. After having gone through a rough financial period with his namesake collection, the designer presented his Resort 2018 offering with great enthusiasm. Chief among the major happenings within the brand is a partnership with a Hollywood studio and a major retailer in which Mohapatra will create a capsule collection inspired by what’s being hailed as fall’s biggest movie release (it’s a remake of a classic with a superstar-studded cast—since it’s technically still under wraps, we’ll let you guess the title). With that project and a successful jewelry line, he’s feeling hopeful for a bright future, and he injected that sentiment into his lineup. He drew inspiration from his nieces in India and the idea that—especially right now—young women need to understand and embrace their potential and how far they can go to achieve their dreams. As Mohapatra says, “We may not have elected a women president now but someday soon, we will.”The collection was certainly emblematic of a strong female, with architectural silhouettes and striking embellishments, particularly the touch of bright pink flower ornamentation on a blush party frock and the honeycomb embroidery on a belted coat. While some of the black and white lace skirts and dresses weren’t as compelling as the decorated looks, Mohapatra certainly had a customer-pleasing range.
5 June 2017
It’s a tough time to be an independent label with a foundation built on eveningwear. The fashion market is a streetwear-lover’s paradise at the moment, with elegant, ladylike embellishments for day and ball gowns for night both falling by the wayside. This is a fact that Bibhu Mohapatra unfortunately knows all too well, since he had to file for bankruptcy last month. Backstage at his show today, however, the charming man who has dressed Michelle Obama on several occasions was incredibly upbeat about the future and the longevity of his brand. “I’m going through a change but my business is stronger than ever,” Mohapatra said. “We have some exciting things in the pipeline for later this year and I just launched my fine jewelry line with De Beers and Forevermark. I’m very happy about everything.”The designer certainly highlighted this sense of positivity in his Fall collection, one that was inspired by the character Vanda in David Ives’s play,Venus in Fur. Wearing his pink Planned Parenthood pin proudly, Mohapatra also emphasized the importance of female empowerment and his dedication to protecting his multicultural design team from harsh immigration laws (he sweetly took his bow with three of them at the end of the show).This season, Mohapatra played with shapes and silhouettes in a thought-provoking way. One of the most striking examples was a fiery orange silk twill dress rendered voluminous at the hips and shoulders, representing, however vaguely, a sensual, voluptuous female figure. Other strong looks included a cool one-shoulder silk and velvet dress worn over a mosaic jacquard top and a loosely cut velvet suit worn with a simple ivory knit turtleneck.Dramatic evening gowns included a nude chiffon number with beading and allover ostrich plumes, as well as a bright-orange-skirted ball gown with a black velvet and silk bodice and cutouts at the shoulders. Mohapatra is never one to back away from a romantic aesthetic, and credit is due for his ability to construct eye-catching wares so precisely. Even if customers are currently moving away from that sort of thing, Mohaparta is confident and hopeful about the future and this new collection, which blended day and night fairly well.
15 February 2017
Given today’s uncertain political climate, one can be forgiven for needing a little cheering up. Like a lot of designers this week,Bibhu Mohapatra’s Spring 2017 offered a much-needed pick-me-up, in the form of unapologetically joyful clothing. “This year has been incredible for me personally, but at the same time, what you see on TV, we have all this decaying around us,” said Mohapatra. “So I wanted to do something about it, to say how I feel. This time it’s all about this positive vibe and giving credit to people who do the right thing. It’s all about the good times and appreciating what we have.”For inspiration, Mohapatra turned to the Belle Époque—a period of relative prosperity, innovation, and optimism in Europe that ended with World War I. He evoked the era’s fancy for out-and-out luxury with silk and tulle confections that were beautifully embroidered with pearls, crystal, and marabou. A handful of gowns—such as a gorgeous tangerine and coral, pearl-encrusted number and an equally stunning pale pink floor-sweeper—also paid homage to the period’s silhouette with artful draping at the bodice and waist.Just as delightful—but a little more 21st century–inspired—were the lace looks embellished with filmy purple ruffles: oddball, but in a good way. Perhaps it was just a comedown from the dopamine rush of all the bubblegum pinks and gossamer bows, but the darker looks—like a nailhead bustier dress—felt a little too edgy for the offering, perhaps belying the underlying aggression behind all this exuberance. But then, Mohapatra did warn before the show: “This season, the girl is a little naughty. So watch out.”Rounding out the offering was a collaboration with Forevermark diamonds that was two years in the making. Called the Artemis Collection, it will launch in the U.S. later this year, and offers a range of products, from chandelier earrings to a starburst pin, which the designer himself had pinned to his Levi’s jacket.
14 September 2016
Bibhu Mohapatraoften mines the history books for inspiration. This season, he came up with Empress Dowager Cixi, a divisive figure in Chinese history who started out as a concubine in the late Qing dynasty years and wound up ruling the country until her death in 1908. “She was not known to be the nicest of persons,” said Mohapatra. “She is the perfect example of the imperfect. She was hungry for chaos and control. She wanted to rule, and she did—at a time when women had no ground to stand on.”The Empress Dowager’s influence could be felt in the East Asian flavor of the collection: There were dragonfly embellishments, ginkgo leaf embroideries and plenty of red. Though the influence was obvious, it didn’t hit you over the head; Mohapatra was careful to keep things from getting costumey by streamlining silhouettes and trying out fresh color combinations. The red, for instance, was paired with blush pink, orange, and slate blue; those looks, especially a striped fur coat, were particularly strong. Mohapatra was also interested in what he called Dowager Cixi’s life as a “seductress.” That led to a number of looks styled with harnesses and collars by Zana Bayne, many of which featured leather dragonflies. Mohapatra also mimicked the shape using color-blocked inserts.But what really interested Mohapatra was the way the Empress Dowager seized—and later embodied—power. “Clothes are a tool to give confidence,” he said. “They can change a person. I’ve seen it happen.” And who wouldn’t feel just a little more powerful in, say, Mohapatra’s red wasp-waist gown embroidered with dragonflies? Incidentally, it seemed tailor-made for a woman of power who exists very much in the here-and-now:Michelle Obama, who has worn his designs on a couple of occasions—and who is known to be a big fan of red.
17 February 2016
“I’m a very emotional designer,”Bibhu Mohapatrasaid before hisSpring 2016 show. “Whether it’s a fabric or a material or an artisan story, I hold on to them until it feels right.”As a counterpoint to last season, when Mohapatra was mourning the loss of his father, the designer wanted this collection to be much more spirited and celebratory. He chose as his muse Annemarie Schwarzenbach, a woman who has long held his fascination and whom the designer felt embodied the joie de vivre of the collection. Schwarzenbach was a trailblazer—a glamorous and itinerant journalist and photographer who was known for her singular androgynous style in ’30s Europe. But she also died young, at the age of 34. “She had a short but very impactful life, and that’s something to be celebrated,” said Mohapatra.Instead of riffing on Schwarzenbach’s menswear-influenced personal style—which would have strayed too far from the brand’s core aesthetic—Mohapatra instead opted to infuse his feminine and sophisticated silhouettes with elements of Bauhaus, the school of art that Schwarzenbach subscribed to. Mohapatra beautifully captured that modernist and geometric style in his prints, many of which were inspired by discarded Bauhaus drawings. Highlights included a warped circle print that repeated itself on tops and dresses, and an overblown multicolored design, iridescent with sequins, that appeared on dresses and pants. Elsewhere Mohapatra incorporated elements of the school’s architectural aesthetic. Thigh-high slits were effectively updated by squaring off the opening at the top—a nice graphic touch. Dresses and tops had structure and often were sliced to reveal surprising panels of tulle and silk organza.Mohapatra is also emotionally invested in the fabrics he uses and the artisans he works with: The designer could barely suppress his excitement backstage when showing a jacket constructed from thin strips of leather and silk that was hand-woven in Laos. Surprisingly delicate, and fascinating to look at up close, the fabrication was certainly worth the fuss.
16 September 2015
Bibhu Mohapatra was thinking about early-20th-century photographers Wanda and Marianne Wulz while designing his Resort collection. "They were bold, experimental women," Mohapatra said at his studio, gesturing to a print ofIo + gatto,a composite photo of Wanda and her cat that is both strange and engrossing.Mohapatra is drawn to women of that era, in part because he is also drawn to the aesthetic movements of the time: futurism, Bauhaus, Art Deco. Some of the best pieces in this broad selection were those that nodded, even ever so slightly, to the geometry that emerges from each of those design practices.Both the first look (a peplum top and matching skirt in color-blocked orange-red and putty gray) and the last (a black gown inset with appliquéd pale pink tulle petals) were strong. In between, the designer took some of his favorite techniques—starburst pleats on a skirt, matchstick paillettes arranged as daisies on a cropped silk jacket—and built a warm, rich collection that looked a little busy all lined up in one row. The good news was that, individually, each piece in the eclectic mix had legitimate hanger appeal, from the cropped wide-leg pants to a pleated floor-length gown in a floral-printed chiffon.
5 June 2015
There were supposed to be flowers in Bibhu Mohapatra's Fall collection. But in early December, the designer's father passed away, and he traveled to India for 10 days to mourn him. Upon his return to New York, Mohapatra stripped the floral motifs from his digital prints, replacing them with brushstrokes and feathers. "I had to tweak my mood board," he said at a studio preview. "She's the same woman, but a little more restrained, serious."Mohapatra had other muses, too: He cited Maud Gonne—the Irish revolutionary who captured the heart of William Butler Yeats—and the French sculptor Camille Claudel, who was long entangled with Auguste Rodin. But this collection was really about Mohapatra's father, and the idea of what happens after experiencing that sort of loss.It came out in the color palette, with lots of black and white—a mourning color in India, meant to represent a new beginning—as well as shades that made Mohapatra think of home, like indigo, turmeric yellow, and clay red. Polished day dresses have become Mohapatra's bread and butter over the past five years, and he presented several compelling options: A black and indigo twill twist-front shift caught the eye, as did a color-blocked rust red, ivory, and black crepe number, its single arm strap adding the right amount of sex appeal. A woven leather blazer offered a refined alternative to a tough motorcycle jacket, while the drape detail on a pair of crepe trousers was strong and feminine.Mohapatra has a way with furs, and this season he created a backgammon motif on different styles. That design element could become a signature for him in a category that is difficult to break. He also presented a pencil skirt in astrakhan, which was charmingly paired with a sparkling bow blouse.There were some beautiful evening options this season—including a striking cape-back black-and-white gown that deservedly closed the show—but this is the area where Mohapatra still has a lot of work to do. The heavily sequined gowns looked weighted down, and some of the portrait necklines were too matronly. But there is no denying that this was Mohapatra's strongest, most cohesive effort to date. "I wanted to pay homage to my father," he said. The emotions he poured into this collection were beautifully displayed.
18 February 2015
A couple of years ago, Bibhu Mohapatra traveled across the Atlantic by boat. While shuffling around the library during the seven-day trip, he stumbled upon the biography of writer, activist, and shipping heiress Nancy Cunard. (It was, indeed, a Cunard ship.)Mohapatra was enthralled. "She had such a compassionate heart and creative mind," he said at a preview the week before his Spring show. "She broke barriers and stood for her beliefs." (The British-born aristocrat was known for many things, but one of them was her battles against racism and Fascism.) While Cunard's personal style was well documented—in her most famous photo, she's wearing a tough leather jacket and a stack of African wooden bangles, which were quite avant-garde for the time—Mohapatra mainly chose to let her spirit inform his work.A geometric print of graphed-in circles pervaded the collection. There was a jacquard version—used on separates like a crop top with organza panels hanging down the sides—and a digitally printed iteration, done on everything from tops to dresses, including a cap-sleeve silk and cotton gown. Mohapatra even took it one step further, beading a graph-like pattern on the skirt of a crepe column that was otherwise covered in crystal poppies. The designer's subtle ode to Cunard's leather jacket came in the form of a collarless skirt suit made from leather and silk strips woven together. (It looked almost like ribbing.) One of the best ideas was a windowpane-printed silk blouse that came in black and lilac, its big pussy bow tied in the back.Mohapatra's client is surely after his formal gowns—he's not afraid to use print, and they seem to appreciate that. But the day offerings were particularly strong this season. His collection was feminine and fitted, but a little eclectic, too. Something Cunard might very well have appreciated.
10 September 2014
What fun it is to hear Bibhu Mohapatra's inspirations each season. They're never generic. After the designer watched colorblind artist Neil Harbisson's TED talk on how a device attached to his head lets him "hear" color, Mohapatra was inspired to work in gray scale.He wasn't too strict about it. "Color brings optimism," said Mohapatra, explaining all the blues—cobalt, periwinkle, slate—that kept popping up. But the designer seemed to thrive within the slight limitations he'd created for himself.An appealing vine silhouette was either printed or embroidered on a number of pieces: stamped in white and silver on a periwinkle blouse; all white on a long black gown; done in navy and black on a crepe T-shirt and pencil skirt combo. "I wanted to develop a print from some element in nature," Mohapatra said of the design. An unlined jacquard coat served as an elegant topper over separates, as well as his best-selling shifts. But the standout was a periwinkle dress with a floating halter neckline and double-star pleating on the skirt. (Mohapatra's master pleater pulled the stunning pattern from the archives.) While the majority of the range consisted of wardrobe workhorses—albeit special ones—that piece brought something magical to it all.
5 June 2014
Friends inspire Bibhu Mohapatra, yet they're not the typical muses. For instance, this Fall he looked to the landscapes in photographer Manoj Jadhav's work, but also to his acupuncturist, who recently returned from a falconry trip to Mongolia and Tibet. In turn, traditional striped Tibetan garments reminded the designer of DNA bar code, which he transformed into a digital print.It's a winding way to go about things, but the end result was anything but convoluted. Mohapatra made it his mission this season to further define his voice, tweaking silhouettes that have sold well at retail to emphasize consistency without going stale. It's a smart approach for a fairly commercial designer; "I built the collection based on information," Mohapatra said at his studio a few days before the show, in the midst of model fittings. The end result was a mix of evening and day that was quite pretty but also more focused than past collections. The DNA bar code motif—which could have gone terribly wrong—was a success, best when painted in metallic gold and silver on a series of ivory numbers, particularly a short, full-skirted cocktail dress that came in at a V at the waist. It was sort of a faux wrap, and it worked really well to freshen up the silhouette. That V showed up again on a black tuxedo dress, woven for a quilted effect. The sunset-print evening gowns, while pretty, might've been a bit too literal for evening. That print worked better as the lining of a fur coat. (Fur is a big seller for the designer, so he has teamed up with Blackglama to increase production.)Mohapatra's other subtle nod to Tibet was in the scarves. He slung them elegantly around models' necks and tied them at the back. They gave the collection cohesion, but also a certain polish. Mohapatra is a very emotional designer—he speaks a lot of spirituality and values when referring to his work—but his analytical side served him well this season. It was a collection of hits that will further establish where he fits in the fashion world.
11 February 2014
For Spring, Bibhu Mohapatra was inspired by his friend Wendy Whelan's transformation into a modern dancer. (The longtime principal dancer at New York City Ballet debutedRestless Creature,a four-part performance, at Jacob's Pillow in August.) "She found herself again," said the designer at his year-old Garment District studio days before the show. "I liked that idea of a new beginning."While Mohapatra didn't start from scratch with his latest offering, it did feel new: more confident and concise than past efforts. A digitized print depicting oversize palash—a fire-red tree flower found in India that he has long wanted to incorporate into a collection—appeared again and again in different colors on a white background. In fuchsia, it was shaped into a shirtdress with charming asymmetric pleating. A gold palash blouse was worn with a pencil skirt in the same print, but in a subtly contrasting sage green. There were coral, hot orange, pale pink, and black versions, too, each done in a classic shape: the shift, the skater, the tulip.There was also embellishment. Mohapatra mostly went with 3-D adornment, including a nude crepe blouse studded with red-orange and dark lavender daisies, and a rose-colored mousseline gown with baby tulips scattered over the blouse. To counter these sweet looks, he incorporated a shards-of-glass pattern into a black organza frock with inverted pleats and a hand-pleated mousseline gown in sage. Mohapatra worked hard to make it all flow, and the result was a collection as sellable as it was thoughtful. Here's to (somewhat) new beginnings.
10 September 2013
It was a subtle thing, but there was one detail in Bibhu Mohapatra's new collection that spoke volumes about his development as a designer. That detail was a flutter—a soft ruffle of chiffon that served as the shoulder of his crisp silk shirtdress, and it reappeared as the adornment of a keyhole-collar blouse. It has taken a while, but Mohapatra has finally learned to be judicious with his flourishes. This collection was marked by that discipline: He limited himself to one decorative idea—a flock-like pattern inspired the look of a part of India colonized by the French—and he kept his shapes simple, too, emphasizing structured sheaths. There was also a nice sense of communication between Mohapatra's evening looks and his clothes for day. If he overdid anything here, it was his focus; after a while, his repetition of the flock became a bit tiresome, especially in an embroidered leather iteration that just didn't work. The cleaner looks, like that shirtdress, came off as a balm. Still, this collection had a lot of appeal and showed Mohapatra moving in the right direction.
3 June 2013
Man Ray's photographs of muses Kiki de Montparnasse and Lee Miller were the driving force behind Bibhu Mohapatra's Fall collection, a modern take on 1930s eccentric style. A lattice print wove its way almost all the way through, from a gray and black jacquard coat for day—belted with a shapely leather corset—to a navy crepe evening gown with laser-cut leather sleeves. "My work is always very geometric," the designer said backstage at the show.The graphic theme worked, but when Mohapatra swerved away from his vision, things were less peachy. A jet-beaded rose chiffon bustier gown—topped off with a purple velvet cape—looked out of place and dowdy, really. As did a navy bustier gown, overlaid with embroidered tulle.But there were some formalwear highlights. A creamy tulle gown embroidered with vines of black diamonds looked modern, thanks to the addition of not-too-thin, not-too-thick off-the-shoulder straps. It all just needed to come together better. Mohapatra launched his collection in 2009 with decent fanfare. It's time for him to more thoroughly focus his ideas and define his mission.
12 February 2013
Bibhu Mohapatra spent time in Cooperstown, N.Y., this summer, where he designed the costumes for a production ofAida. While he was there he saw his first luna moth, and he was taken by its prophetic quality and architectural design. A print capturing the energy of a butterfly's metamorphosis emerged—digitally and in a burnout pattern—which Mohapatra applied to sexy, slimming silhouettes that used strong, angled peplums and shoulder cutouts to augment the wearer's curves. Given the designer's inspiration, not to mention his stint designing opera costumes, there was a fear that he might overdo. But Mohapatra relied on his print (which was more exploding glass than emerging butterfly), saturated palette, and strong silhouette to create looks with impact. There was not an extra embellishment in sight.A cobalt top in the morph print, worn with a pair of slim cigarette pants, had an appealing boxiness: Though the fabric had a rich sheen, it looked suited for day. Evening softened up. Hand-pleated chiffon skirts added a desirable lightness, but angular cutouts and graphic lace continued the collection's geometric through-line. With figure-hugging forms, as most of these were, the fit has to be perfect; a few of the dresses here were too big on the models, causing prints to gap unflatteringly. That's a small criticism, and one Mohapatra will likely have worked out by the time these clothes arrive in stores.
11 September 2012
"We've finally hatched," Bibhu Mohapatra said at a Resort appointment this morning. The designer was referring to a recent spatial upgrade from the CFDA Incubator space to an expansive new studio all his own. But he could very well have been talking about his young label, which is hitting its stride after several seasons spent refining its identity and customer base. A recent trip to Marrakech gave rise to the new lineup, which was full of vibrant colors like saffron yellow and sunset pink, as well as geometric patterns inspired by Moorish architecture. Structured silk frocks with waist-framing insets and sporty zippers exemplify how Mohapatra is expanding his daywear while still maintaining the element of drama he's known for. Meanwhile, slim cotton trousers overlaid with lace were a nice separates solution for cocktail hour—you could dress them up with a feathery tank (as seen in the lookbook) or down with a T-shirt. These pants especially felt fresh hanging next to Mohapatra's more predictable flowing evening gowns.
24 June 2012
After several seasons of static presentations and a lot of hard work in the off-seasons refining the vocabulary of his brand, Bibhu Mohapatra had earned the right to show on a catwalk, which he did for the first time this afternoon. The moment offered the opportunity to judge whether Mohapatra, long tipped as an up-and-comer, was finally ready to join the front rank of emerging young designers.What Mohapatra has in spades is a real sense of luxury. His looks for both night and day are executed in rich materials and beautifully finished. It's clear that the designer has thought every detail through; sometimes you feel he's overthinking, actually. Today, as usual, there were a few garments that begged for a bit more simplicity, like a gown with a chainlike embroidery, ombré fade, peacock feathers, and plissé skirt. Still, you have to respect Mohapatra's ambition: His understanding of luxury is that it demands a sense of drama. His daywear benefits from that allergy to the mundane; some of the best pieces today were the show-opening ivory knit tops, with their sculpted construction and basket-weave detail. And Mohapatra also turned out a variety of fun colored furs. This section had an appealing looseness that, more broadly applied, could accelerate the breakthrough the designer's working toward. He seemed to have enjoyed making his cherry red and hunter green popcorn fur coats, and women are going to enjoy wearing them.
12 February 2012
Bibhu Mohapatra is a good student. Each season, he proves that he's learned from the one before. Mohapatra isn't one of New York's young prodigy designers, but incremental improvements may yet push him into the front rank of the city's emerging-talent pool.This time around, the improvement was most noticeable in Mohapatra's daywear, a category he increasingly emphasizes. There were some really smart looks in this collection, like a circle-seamed coat, a pencil dress with cutout shoulders, and tailored, wide-leg trousers all in a ribbed cotton that read like a sturdy point d'esprit; Mohapatra developed the material himself. There were also well-executed short tuxedo jackets and cool, Grecian-pleated harem pants that would work for day or evening. The Grecian pleats worked their way into the evening looks as well, but Mohapatra was judicious in their use. For instance, one of his best gowns featured a fan of pleats across one side of its skirt, while the bodice was scribbled with heavy-duty embroidery. The gown was weird yet compelling.Mohapatra explained at the presentation that he took his inspiration this season from Helmut Newton. Consequently, skin was a big element, witnessed not only in slits and cutouts but in Mohapatra's focus on sheers and nude-toned fabrics. Crisscross bandage detailing winked at Newton's S&M fetish, while a chain-link print riffed on the photographer's celebration of steely female strength. The chain print seemed a bit off applied to Mohapatra's decorous cocktail dresses; where the theme worked was in a fluttery pale dress with tone-on-tone chain-link embroidery. Mohapatra found a better expression of edginess in his laser-cut bonded silks: A fitted black cocktail dress in nude chiffon, with laser-cut black squares all over it, came off elegant but tough. That's a look to learn from.
12 September 2011
Bibhu Mohapatra is well aware of the expectations that retailers and customers place on him as an eveningwear guy, but he refuses to be pigeonholed. He was keen to point out that daytime offerings made up 18 of the 24 looks in his first collection for Resort. The designer took his cues from vintage postcards from the French Riviera in the 1950's, so many of the outfits were styled with short white gloves and fedoras. If you're looking to push separates, a well-done trenchcoat is key, and Mohapatra showed a great short-sleeved version with what looked like a capelet built in. Other looks intended for before cocktail hour failed to make as much of an impact, although there were a few notable menswear-inspired pieces, like a perfectly cut blazer and white trousers with a classic fit and a crocheted, zigzag detail at the waist. Fortunately for Mohapatra's fans, the designer delivered as usual on pretty frocks and gala gowns. A fuchsia-colored shift with a single draped shoulder was meant to look like a sari, and would be perfect for date night. And a bone-colored chiffon gown that had a crocheted lace overlay with a high, molded neckline was simply stunning.
6 June 2011
It's been clear from the moment he launched his brand four seasons ago that Bibhu Mohapatra is a designer with talent to burn. He's a whiz with materials and finishings, fluent in the language of construction, and ideas burst from his collections like sparks. The question with this designer, though, has been about the use to which he's putting all that talent. Mohapatra's collections have sometimes seemed recherché in their narrow focus on gowns and cocktail frocks, and more than that, he has struggled to define a distinctive look and point of view.This season went a long way toward remedying that. Mohapatra showed some excellent outerwear and clothes for day, for one thing. For another, with this collection he seems to be zeroing in on the Bibhu Mohapatraje ne sais quoi. Perhaps the best way to describe what the designer discovered this season would be to call it his wild streak. A single garment encapsulates it: a tailored wool jacket with an off-center zip, plumes of goat hair on the sleeve, and a touch of the wool-and-chiffon stripe Mohapatra made repeated use of here. The jacket felt modern—ladylike yet un-prissy—and that goat hair gave it an aspect of abandon. There were other clothes that struck the same balance, but none with such clarity.The collection's strengths, in general, were its materials and its use of texture and dimension. Mohapatra had several interesting ideas—some good, period, and some good but wanting for execution. The just-plain-good ones were leathers stamped to look as though they were studded, the wool/chiffon stripe, fabrics folded origami-style to create a relief, and a metallic denim (!) used in the evening looks. The primary good-but-wanting idea was a "tattoo" embroidery—lacquered beading in a fleur-de-lis motif that came off a touch gaudy. Ironically, perhaps, the weakness of the collection was Mohapatra's eveningwear; there was too much of it, and too many of the dresses looked over-considered. Maybe Mohapatra didn't have his heart in evening this season, and maybe that's a good thing. He's branching out.
14 February 2011
Does the world need another pretty cocktail dress? Bibhu Mohapatra's retailers think so. According to the designer, who presented his collection at Lincoln Center today, his decision to scale back on daywear this season was influenced by the feedback from his stores. They've been telling him that what their customers want from the brand is more exquisitely constructed, attentively embellished eveningwear. The designer's accommodation of that represents a weird kind of pragmatism, wherein the most realistic thing for him to do for his business is to make more clothes that—at least for those of us who aren't dodging trays of canapés on a nightly basis—are fundamentally unrealistic.Four seasons in, Mohapatra has established a few signatures: beaded embellishment; a delicate hand-pleated bustline, from which fabric falls in a goddess drape; and a palimpsest effect, in which dresses reveal various layers of color and material and silhouette. The latter was seen most glamorously in a column gown of blue covered in clouds of black tulle—red carpet stylists, take note. In terms of the embellishment, Mohapatra created embroideries that looked like rope and sewed Indian cup sequins to mimic chain. His more minimal innovations came off better, notably the laser cutting applied to many garments, most winningly a plum-colored organza cocktail frock.The collection wasn't entirely day-less. Mohapatra said he believes his customer is looking for day-to-night pieces, like his "date dress" of heavy print silk, nipped at the waist by elastic. There were smart separates in a glazed linen and versatile silk blouses in a half-sheer stripe. The designer also included a few truly practical items, like a cotton-twill safari jacket that would work great for the office. Mohapatra seems to be hungry to design more clothes like that: He cited the era of early feminism as an inspiration, and the strength, elegance, and verve of Faye Dunaway in the filmThe Thomas Crown Affairas a reference. Intriguing directions, both. In a way, it's too bad that he has such a talent for making girls look pretty.
13 September 2010
It hasn't been the most favorable economic climate for any young designer, let alone one trying to break into the eveningwear market. Credit Bibhu Mohapatra for being not only talented but adaptable. The designer's third collection was his strongest—and crucially, most rounded—to date. Two oft-cited films, Bernardo Bertolucci'sIl Conformistaand Fritz Lang'sMetropolis, inspired the sophisticated daywear he developed for Fall. Strongest were the smartly tailored wool coats, a pencil skirt with brass buttons, and a chunky double-breasted cardigan trimmed in fur. The dresses, surprisingly, were more hit-or-miss. A pale hand-pleated chiffon number was pretty, but the label inside could easily have read J. Mendel (the designer's previous employer). A draped silk evening gown that floated across the model's body, on the other hand, struck just the right note. Mohapatra made an effort to tell a more complete story this season. It's a strategy that should pay dividends in the coming months.
14 February 2010
"Fall was strong and moody," Bibhu Mohapatra said of his debut season, "and this time around, I wanted everything to be light, airy, and wearable." For the most part, he succeeded. The designer (who put in time at J. Mendel before going solo) became intrigued with X-rays after being subjected to a series for his new green card. In turn, he began exploring the armature of bodies and playing with the idea of visibility. A white linen blazer with a delicate spinelike lace-up back was beautiful, as was a cropped jacket trimmed in layers of sheer organza. But Mohapatra was heavy-handed at times, as in the case of an otherwise lovely chiffon gown weighed down with an explosion of square appliqués. Additionally, a rubberized anorak felt out of place among all the eveningwear. One gets the sense that the designer is still finding his footing, but Mohapatra's assured technique and penchant for special-occasion dressing should ensure that his star continues to rise.
13 September 2009
Bibhu Mohapatra may not be a name that trips off the tongue, but the buzz for his debut collection, shown yesterday by appointment, is ringing clear as a bell. The attention is deserved. Mohapatra, who spent eight years at J. Mendel, left his design director post at the end of 2007 and in the time since has been researching and putting together this rock-solid debut. The designer merged his elegant evening experience with a pair of hard-edged inspirations: ancient Japanese armor and fashion warrior Daphne Guinness. The 21 looks he showed did their dance between hard and soft, fantasy and reality, with only a few missed steps. Both beautiful and wearable was a coat in the exotic fabric of peacock feather-loomed wool. Mohapatra said his dream would be to dress Freida Pinto for the Oscars. There isn't much time left for Mohapatra's work to make it to the red carpet next weekend, but expect to see a lot more of it in the months to come.
11 February 2009