MANISH Arora’s SS17 collection Life is Beautiful was a celebration of life and the natural world. The joyous cast of models included people from different ethnicities, people with diverse body types, drag queens and the infamous living doll Pandemonia Panacea.
The Indian designer chose fruit, flowers, flamingos and parrots to decorate his vibrant patterns which began in pastel colours and transitioned to bolder colours throughout the show. The 1950s-inspired silhouettes were a throw-back to an era of optimism where women wore hour-glass cotton day-dresses in table-top prints, cut into different patches and sewn together, embellished by milkshake or cupcake shaped bags.
Sailor-inspired stripy tops and hats adorned with pink flamingos followed, accompanied by pin-ups themed My Little Pony, thanks to a collaboration. All the intricate embroidery prints seemed to depict a fantasy world with dreamscapes picturing giant castles as well as hot air balloons and rainbows in clear light blue skies. The rainbow motif is what unites the collection, being inserted on large belts, platform shoe wedges, sequin bomber jackets, tank tops and fitted dresses and of course colourful make-up. Manish Arora’s latest collection communicates happiness, joy and zest for life.
by Lucrezia Celeste d’Acquarone