There is one common element in almost all business cycles. Reform. In short, it is capital and ideas which are essential for making positive change. Numerous factors determine a brand's success and whether its strategies are good investments. Inflation and interest rates, consumer spending, and business confidence are important in the short run. In the long run, though, a fashion brand becomes successful depending on whether it has the right mix of people, capital and ideas. Get these fundamentals right, and the short-run gyrations seldom matter.
Building a fashion company involves phasing out old designs, re-designing existing ones and creating new ones. The robustness of fashion designer Bibhu Mohapatra was evident upon his first fashion show in 2009. A powerful fashion designer and a constant agitator, he became an idol of the fashion world. It is indeed difficult to determine what motivated a designer such as Bibhu, nevertheless I will give it a go.
Bibhu Mohapatra is a New York based and Indian born luxury womenswear designer. Before launching his eponymous label at New York’s Fall 2009 fashion week, he had been design director at J.Mendel for eight years. His label is currently sold internationally at select luxury boutiques at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Lane Crawford, and specialty boutiques in North America, Europe, Russia and the Middle East. To date, celebrities such as Hilary Swank, Gwyneth Paltrow, Glenn Close, Jennifer Lopez, Lupita Nyong’o, Emily Blunt, Taraji P.Henson, Celine Dion and BAFTA Award winner Allison Janney have all worn Bibhu’s designs.
I take great pride in informing you that in June 2010, Bibhu became a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Subsequently, Bibhu received the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award in January 2011.
I recently had the privilege of speaking with founder/designer Bibhu Mohapatra about the essence of the brand, what makes this brand unique and who is the one celebrity he would like to see wearing his brand!
Joseph DeAcetis: Talk to Forbes about the essence and DNA of the brand?
Bibhu Mohapatra: The brand is known for its products being created with a balance of craft and modernity. The design philosophy of the brand is defined similarly to a study of the juxtaposition of opposites. Masculine vs. feminine, tailored vs. draped, architectural vs. organic shapes and earthy neutrals vs. vibrant colors, etc.
My heritage is in my DNA. I am so fortunate to have been born and raised in a vibrant culture like in Odisha, India. I feel that all the craft and the delicate sensibility of colors and textiles shaped my creative mind at an early age. Even though I am trained in the west and spent all my professional life here in New York, my heritage comes through my work. I believe my heritage gives me an edge in the fashion world.
JD: What are your day-to-day job responsibilities?
BM: My day-to-day responsibilities include a day filled with different roles. My responsibilities span from creative to customer relationships. Each day, I meet with my team to ensure that all areas are paid attention to for the brand. Nevertheless, my prime responsibility is to create new collections and help market and sell with my team.
JD: What makes Bibhu unique?
BM: Bibhu is unique because of the product that is created with unique craft and tradition that compliment modern lifestyle of the ultimate global consumer. In addition, Bibhu product is unique because of its quality. The quality of the brand ensures that it has a life beyond one fashion season. At present. we have a new production partner in India who develops the collection and handles the production with a dedicated and skilled staff devoted to our brand. Our production partner allows us to broaden our product offerings and sharpen prices of our products. For the fall 2019 collection, we had about 81 of the highest skilled artisans working for 4 weeks to create the 140-piece collection.
JD: In your words, speak to Forbes in detail about the current SS 2019 collection?
BM: My fall 2019 collection is also my 10-year anniversary collection. I pay my sincere gratitude to all the Bibhu women all over the world who have supported the brand over the last 10Years. The collection was inspired by the gardens of Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland. It is a world famous garden started by strong women of the Londonderry family. The collection celebrates the strong and determined women who traveled the world and collected plants and saplings, at a time when horticulture was traditionally a man's vocation. One can find many inspirations in fabrics and textures coming from from nature. The collection consists of embroideries inspired by artist Bobby Beard. It is a collection that celebrates courage, strength and the love of nature.
JD: How has technology aided you and the brand with respect to fabrications?
BM: Technology has always played a strong role with respect to modified fabrications. In fact, technology enhances a fabric’s functionality and aesthetic appeal. For this collection we have created a lot of special fabrics that are machine woven to re-create traditional fabrics such as the fill coupe jacquard organza or jungle lace. In my opinion, it is the balance of modern technology and traditional (textile) craft that is crucial in creating a modern collection.
JD: Where do you find inspiration each season?
BM: People and their stories inspire me. My travels play a great role in discovering people and stories that the Bibhu woman can relate to while viewing the collection. I find it incredibly inspiring to be living in New York. New York is a place where one gets to meet people from all
over the world and share their unique stories.
JD: If you could choose one celebrity to wear your brand who would that be and why?
BM Cate Blanchett. She is a worldly artist who can morph into any character at the drop of a hat. I am very inspired by her craft and she fits the image of the dynamic Bibhu woman.
JD: In your opinion, what is a beautifully dressed woman?
BM: "A beautifully dressed woman is someone who is dressed confidently, no matter what the occasion is for her."
JD: How are you getting your style message to consumers?
BM: I am delivering my message by telling the backstory of my craft. It is a story of the artisans who work on my collections through textiles and embroidery. There is a lot of creativity that goes into a Bibhu product and I like to make sure the stories are shared with the ultimate consumer- by telling an authentic story about the product.
JD: What is your immediate growth strategy and how do you intend to get there?
BM: My growth strategy is to have a strong wholesale strategy for both the USA and international markets. We have a sales team based in Paris to handle the use of all modern technology. This technology helps increase the outreach to global consumers to increase the direct-to-consumer part of the business 2019 Launch the second collection of Artemis, my diamond fine jewelry for DeBeers.
