Hollywood calling designer Manav Gangwani

Master couturier Manav Gangwani, who has designed for some of the A-listers in Bollywood including Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, has set his eyes on Hollywood now.

He calls himself an "exclusive brand" and doesn't believe in over-exposing his label like some of his contemporaries.

"Let us talk about Hollywood soon, why Bollywood? Why limit yourself in one area? I always aimed for stars so that I can land on moon; I never aim for the moon to land on earth," Gangwani told IANS, when asked about his future projects.

"People will hear it very soon as something really big is coming along; so I am just keeping my fingers crossed. I am a person who does not believe in talking about it and I learnt this quality from one of my dear friends (and actor) Zayed Khan," he added without revealing any details.

The designer recently styled British supermodel Naomi Campbell, who was in the country to celebrate her Russian billionaire boyfriend Vladimir Doronin's 50th birthday. She was spotted in an elegant lehenga-choli created by Gangwani for the big bash.

A known name in the Indian fashion world, the designer recognized his inclination towards fashion during his college days and decided to enroll in the Pearl Academy of Fashion to hone his talent. He began his career with Carma, a designer boutique in New Delhi , in 1999 and since then there has been no looking back.

Not only Bollywood, he has also designed for some of well-known politicians like Priyanka Gandhi, Smita Thackeray and Amar Singh.

Though the designer has been a part of almost all major fashion weeks in India and abroad, he says it was a conscious decision to do only one show a year.

"I do one show in a year because I am an exclusive brand. I don't believe in over-exposing or over-exploiting my brand. When I create a piece, I like to create it like a piece of jewellery and treat it like my child. I am not like a hand machine that churns out pieces and I don't want to become one for sure," said Gangwani, who is known for his grandeur couture collection.

"For me, exclusivity is the key. When I do one show, it take seven to eight months of my life. I always try to bring uniqueness to my collection. I have no qualms in saying that I am one of the expensive designers in the country and even my close friends complain about it. But my clothes talk for themselves. They are unique, sensuous and exclusive; so those who want it, they will definitely find a way," he added.

Apart from designing, he is also busy changing the face of luxury in India and the recent effort in that line is the opening of first Roberto Cavalli store here.

The Italian brand has forayed into the India market through a partnership with start-up firm Infinite Luxury Brands Pvt. Ltd., jointly set up by Gangwani, Dubai-based entrepreneur Sahiba Narang and finance expert Rahul Kapoor.

Talking about his association with one of the renowned brands worldwide, Gangwani admited it wasn't easy to get hold of it, as Cavalli had some bad experiences with Indian companies in the past.

"They were approached by many companies from India before and every time at the final stage, the Indian companies would come up with some weird demands and the deal never went through," Gangwani said.

"So the Italian brand was very disappointed with the Indian market and it felt that Indians do not keep their word; so their impression about Indian companies was a little harsh.

"But then we discussed things and they believed we are very passionate and understanding. They did proper research on our partners and promoters and we came out the winners," added the designer, who also likes to paint and has brought a number of celebrities like Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan, Simi Garewal and Raveena Tandon on canvas.

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