Bibhu Mohapatra

He calls Waris Ahluwalia and Prabal Gurung his friends and retails at Bergdof Goodman...You’d think that a guy from India who won a scholarship to study Economics in the States would pursue a career in that field, but not Bibhu Mohapatra.... after earning a Masters Degree in Economics in Utah, he moved to NYC to enroll in F.I.T and is now one of New York’s super successful designers.

The designer in a recent interview said that he likes spending time in cemeteries because he loves reading the inscriptions on the gravestones. Well, this inherent dark side of his is very apparent in his cleverly crafted Fall 2011 collection which he previewed recently at the Lincoln Center. The collection drew inspiration from Arthur Miller's, The Crucible, which is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials. The inspired darkness that ensued is personified with touches of crow feathers, lace, silk, leather and fur.
Rather than having the models walk down a runway, the designer had them up on a central platform with some models sitting while the others stood. Periodically, the ones standing would sit down and vice versa. While the color palette stayed with deep luxuriant shades and dark patterns, the clothes had an unusual constructed liquidity about them.
For a day look, there were deep-hued blouses paired with fur and leather separates.
The evening gowns were beautifully crafted, again in rich luxurious hues.
To add to the drama, the khol-eyed models donned raven-feather chokers and leather gloves on one hand.
According to the designer, the collection is about the conflict of extreme opposites like good versus evil, dark versus light.

To trace the roots of his brilliance as a designer, you have to know that while he was still at F.I.T, Bibhu Mohapatra, was awarded Fashion Institute of Technology's Critic’s Award for Best Evening Wear Designer of the Year. Last year he was elected a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
At the onset of his career, the designer had worked with iconic American brand Halston as an assistant designer and then spent a ten year stint as Design Director honing his skills creating Oscar-worthy gowns for J. Mendel under Gilles Mendel.