Exclusive: Inside the many worlds of Manish Malhotra

There is a particular kind of glamour that Manish Malhotra understands instinctively. It is the shimmer before the bride walks in, the gold that catches the light just so, the florals that know when to be ornamental and when to make an entrance. After all, Malhotra has spent decades dressing some of India’s most cinematic celebrations, turning fashion into memory in the process. Now, that language of glamour is stepping out of the wardrobe and into the drinks cabinet.

His latest collaboration with Black Dog brings his signature design vocabulary to a limited edition festive drop, translating couture’s appetite for detail into bottles, packaging and glassware. Gold, botanicals, florals and Indian decorative codes come together in a collection designed to feel as much like an object of desire as a festive indulgence. But for Malhotra, celebration has never simply been about spectacle. It is about the people gathered around the table, the details that make a moment linger and, perhaps most importantly, knowing when to stop rushing through it.

From dressing generations of brides to building an unmistakable fashion house, Malhotra has made a career out of understanding what makes celebration memorable. Here, he speaks to LuxeBook about designing beyond couture, the changing language of luxury weddings, why individuality is becoming the ultimate status symbol and the art of actually savouring the moment.

In Conversation With Manish Malhotra

LuxeBook: Your latest collaboration with Black Dog brings your design language into the world of spirits through a limited edition drop. What was the inspiration behind the design, and how did your design language translate into the packaging?

Manish Malhotra: For me, any collaboration or design collaboration is always about craft. Craft is really important to me and to our brand. Black Dog is luxurious and has stood the test of time. It has such rich heritage and quality, and that is what we are also about. We are about quality and heritage, but making them contemporary. I think that is where Black Dog and we met.

Gold was another factor because gold is us. Gold is our feeling. Gold is rich, it is part of our culture and it is something that we all love. I appreciate the design and I love gold. You will see it a lot in my clothes as well, and that is what the gold packaging brings into the collaboration.

LuxeBook: If you were designing your own engagement ring, what would it look like?

Manish Malhotra: My engagement ring would definitely be Manish Malhotra jewellery and Manish Malhotra High Jewellery. It would be very supreme in quality. It would be gold and it would definitely have the name of the person I am being engaged to. It could be a diamond, it could be a gemstone or a very precious stone, but definitely the name and, of course, the emblem.

LuxeBook: Did Manish Malhotra make Bollywood or did Bollywood make Manish Malhotra?

Manish Malhotra: I cannot say I made Bollywood because Bollywood was there much before I was born. Every now and again I feel I am the oldest, but in Bollywood I do not feel I am the oldest. So I would say Bollywood made me.

LuxeBook: At what point did you realise that your brand was much bigger than the clothes you were designing?

Manish Malhotra: I think it is a journey. I started as a costume designer, as a technician in movies. I never thought about a start up. When I was running around for all the movies, styling and shopping all over the world, I never really thought that it was going to become a brand. I thought that was what I was going to do.

Then we started the label and now the label has become a brand. It is a journey that I have really enjoyed. But I would say the last five years have been a game changer for us in terms of really looking at our label as a brand and adding a lot more verticals of design into our world. I think we are an Indian brand which takes Indian culture, tradition and heritage all over the world.

LuxeBook: You have spoken about seeing your Dil To Pagal Hai designs being copied endlessly, with businesses being built around your work. Did that experience become a catalyst for the brand?

Manish Malhotra: Actually, Dil To Pagal Hai is the one film that pinched me. I was really enjoying the whole Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Rangeela copies. But Dil To Pagal Hai was different because the kurtas and palazzos and all of that were just being copied everywhere.

I was like, okay, here I designed with all those fittings for Madhuri. All these days of hard work, and it has been copied everywhere. Somewhere it is validation as well. It was quite early on, so somewhere it is.

LuxeBook: You also started the whole trend of celebrity showstoppers. When you see one walking on a runway today, do you ever think, “I did that first”?

Manish Malhotra: I started that.

LuxeBook: Since Black Dog is all about “Savour the Sip”, what makes the experience of a sip meaningful to you?

Manish Malhotra: Another experience when you say “Savour the Sip” is taking a moment to slow down, be present and come back refreshed and energised. Making time to have good company, conversation and a festive setting. In a life that moves so fast, everything is running, everything is moving. To find time to savour these moments, it is like luxury. That is what luxury means to Manish Malhotra.

LuxeBook: Festive occasions and weddings share a strong sense of celebration, togetherness and creating memorable experiences. What does celebration mean to you personally?

Manish Malhotra: For me, celebration is about the moments we create and the memories we carry from them. My design journey has always been closely connected to weddings, festivities and the moments people create around them, so I have always been drawn to that sense of joy and togetherness.

That is also what drew me to Black Dog. There is a shared appreciation for craftsmanship, for taking the time to get the details right and for creating something that can be enjoyed together. A festive gathering is often about the simplest things: having your favourite people around, good conversation, laughter and sharing a drink. I wanted the collaboration with Black Dog to add to that sense of occasion, both visually and experientially.

LuxeBook: Your life is constantly moving between fashion, films, weddings and celebrations. In such a hectic schedule, what does savouring the moment really mean to you?

Manish Malhotra: My life is always moving from one thing to the next, so savouring a moment for myself is really about knowing when to slow down. It could be something as simple as sitting down, listening to music, pouring a drink, having a conversation with people I love, or just stepping away from the noise for a little while.

I think we often get so caught up in what is coming next that we forget to enjoy where we are. It is a reminder that savouring is not indulgent, it is necessary. For me, it is about being present in that moment, without rushing through it, and taking the time to appreciate the people, the occasion and the journey a little more.

LuxeBook: After dressing generations of brides and being part of some of India’s most memorable weddings, is there a particular wedding or bride that has stayed with you most strongly, and why?

Manish Malhotra: There have been so many, and it is very difficult for me to choose one because every wedding carries a different emotion. What stays with me most is when I have known the family for years and suddenly I am dressing the next generation. You realise that you have been part of their celebrations and memories over decades. That is very special to me.

LuxeBook: Indian weddings have evolved significantly over the years, with luxury becoming bigger and more experiential. Where do you draw the line between luxury and excess?

Manish Malhotra: For me, luxury has never been about simply adding more. It is about craftsmanship, proportion, finish, time and thought. A beautifully made garment with exceptional handwork can feel far more luxurious than something that is overloaded. The same applies to jewellery and weddings themselves. There should be generosity and celebration, of course, but it should still feel considered.

LuxeBook: Everyone wants their wedding to feel unique today. How do you think the modern Indian bride or couple is expressing individuality while still embracing tradition?

Manish Malhotra: They are much more confident about interpreting tradition in their own way. A bride may wear an unexpected colour, choose a sari instead of a lehenga, or pair something deeply traditional with very contemporary High Jewellery. A groom may wear a classic bandhgala but make it completely his own with a brooch or collar pins. Tradition is still very important, but it is no longer about following one formula.

LuxeBook: You have built an instantly recognisable aesthetic over the years. How do you keep that signature relevant and evolving without losing what makes it distinctly Manish Malhotra?

Manish Malhotra: For me, creativity has always been about evolving. I respect the signatures people associate with the House, glamour, craft, colour, drape, but I do not want to repeat them in exactly the same way. After Paris Couture, I have been especially interested in taking techniques we explored there and finding newer, younger and sometimes unexpected ways of bringing them into wedding clothes. The signature should be recognisable in spirit, not predictable in execution.

LuxeBook: What do today’s young couples understand about luxury and celebration that perhaps previous generations did differently?

Manish Malhotra: They understand individuality very well. They want things to feel personal rather than simply grand. They care about the detail, the fit of a garment, the craftsmanship, the jewellery, the setting, even how everything photographs and moves. They are also much more comfortable mixing something traditional with something completely contemporary.