Bibhu Mohapatra can’t ever forget the big moment when the First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama, touched down in India wearing a colourful poppy-print dress and matching coat that he’d designed in his studio back in New York.

“Two months before that, I was at the White House and she said, ‘We’re going to do something good together’. Then, there she was, coming out of Air Force One holding the president’s hand and with our prime minister waiting to receive them. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. It was like a big dream coming true,” says the New York-based designer who’s originally from Rourkela.

Now, over a year later, Mohapatra is making yet another glittery splash in India. He has just taken a fresh twirl down the ramp by designing his first ever jewellery line, the Forevermark Artemis Collection, in collaboration with De Beers’ fine-and-rare diamonds brand, Forevermark. He launched it with a glamorous fashion show in Mumbai, and then in Bangalore, two weeks ago.

The Bibhu Mohapatra brand has been a huge fashion hit ever since it launched in New York in 2009. Everyone from Gwyneth Paltrow to Jennifer Lopez to Priyanka Chopra has loved the designer’s sophistication with dresses and evening gowns.

He’s reaching again for the sun, moon and stars — literally — with his celestial-themed jewellery line. He paired his
gorgeous Artemis diamond cuffs and necklaces and also smaller earrings, pendants and brooches with a selection from his Fall 2016 ready-to-wear collection at the launch. There was film star Athiya Shetty in Mumbai in a showstopper off-shoulder ivory-and-black gown with a shimmering gold cape-back and a brushed gold-and-diamond cuff on her wrist.

“It was truly special,” says Mohapatra. “I felt loved. That was important to me because I’m back here in my birth land and I’m introducing a new chapter in my brand,” he says.

Mohapatra turned to his Indian heritage for the Artemis line. “I looked into the Vedic rites of the alignment of the sun, moon and stars to create this universe of fine jewellery,” he says.

There are three key motifs: a star, a crescent moon-and-sun, and crescent moon-and-stars. The pieces are priced from Rs 2.5 lakh. “I wanted to make jewellery which is luxury but inclusive. Like my clothes, the pieces are not designed for one season alone,” he says.

It’s only a first step in jewellery. “We want to build Artemis to become an important collection for us,” says Sachin Jain, president, Forevermark India.

But Mohapatra’s also looking beyond it at other collaborations to grow his brand. “A successful fashion business is about that fine balance between creativity and commerce,” he says. So, last year, he entered a collaboration with Hanes Hosiery. And, in 2014, he launched his first fur collection in a licensing deal with luxury fur company  BC International — he learnt all about furs during his eight years at J Mendel.

What’s more, he’s expanding his private or direct sales business. “Private sales have grown three times in 2015 and we have a lot of other collaborations in store,” says Mohapatra. He adds: “People shop differently today. They don’t have time, they want something unique and they love to come to an atelier where they can spend time one-on-one.” So, he constantly gets walk-in clients, who “pull up my Instagram account and ask do you have this and this”. His celebrity following is also growing. “We have a strategy about that,” he says.

For now, he’s back in New York, designing his Resort and Spring 2017 lines. Mohapatra picks strong muses to build each collection. “My muses are not all fashion people. I’m inspired by minds whether it’s a writer or artist. Stories inspire me a lot,” he says.

So, for Fall 2016, he was inspired by the Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi, who rose from being a concubine to a ruler. “The collection’s about strength, determination and courage,” says Mohapatra. Dragonfly embellishments, leather harnesses and cape-backs run through the collection.

Stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania loved a “green military-inspired dress with a dominatrix look”. She says: “With Bibhu, there’s always a sense of sophistication. But what was refreshing is that he brought a slight tease into it. The provocation was subtle but not miss-able.”

Fashion designer Rahul Mishra, who has known Mohapatra for long, describes his aesthetics as “modern with a bit of traditional touch”. “There’s a great deal of balance between texture and shape in his design,” he says.

Adds fashion designer Falguni Peacock, who with her husband, Shane, has dressed celebrities like Rihanna: “The New York fashion world’s a tough market to crack. For people to wear and talk about your clothes means that you’re doing something right.”

Several things have worked for Mohapatra. He has long been on the New York Fashion Week calendar — and that’s important as buyers come to fashion weeks. And he has always enjoyed celebrity endorsements.

Besides, Mishra points out that Mohapatra’s modern aesthetic stands out from the big sportswear trend in the US. “Bibhu brings a modern edginess in his clothes. They might have some element that seems sporty but it’s very elegant glam, which is special,” he says.

Mohapatra admits that his brand has matured. “It has got a lot of exposure. Its sensibility has gone above the noise and it has solidified its identity,” he says. That identity, he feels, lies in its “unique combination of geometry and architecture with this incredible texture” so that when a woman wears the clothes, “she feels empowered”. “That’s important. I want my woman to make more of who she is,” he says.

He adds: “My clothes have a lot more than the shape or colour. They have a core, which comes from the
artisan-ic value.” Indeed, he works with artisans across the globe. For his Fall 2016 collection, the embroidery was done in India and the fabrics custom-made in Italy and Japan.

And while gowns and dresses are his forte, he’s also enjoying designing day-to-evening separates. “They’re really interesting and that’s how I’m defining my brand at the moment,” he says.

He also loves to travel and explore different cultures. “I’m a big foodie. And, I also love to cook,” he reveals. So, he came back with “tons of spices” from a recent trip to Tangiers.

Incidentally, he owns an 1820s house surrounded by farms in upstate New York, where he raises chicken that he’s named after supermodels. “Some have been killed by fox attacks. I think Linda Evangelista is dead but Naomi Campbell’s still there,” he quips. And adds: “I love it. It allows me to get away from the craziness of New York City.”
Growing up in Odisha, Mohapatra never dreamt he’d travel this far. “I had a very happy childhood,” he says.

His mother encouraged his love for design. He was 11 when she caught him watching her work on the sewing machine and encouraged him to give it a try. Soon, he was making clothes for his sister from old saris. “How many traditional Indian mothers would say ‘Ok son, here’s a sewing machine’. She was amazing,” he says.

And his father nurtured his technical bent. “Our weekend projects would be taking apart his bike. He taught me how things work,” says Mohapatra. He adds: “Unfortunately, both my parents have passed away now. When really good things happen, I think of them first. I think my mom would have gone out and screamed on the streets if she’d seen the first lady in my dress.”

Still, he studied economics first and then went to the US for a master’s degree in 1996. A professor there saw his sketches and encouraged him to pursue design. In 1999, he joined the Fashion Institute of Technology and worked at fashion house, Halston, while studying. A year later, he joined J. Mendel, rising to become
design director.

He launched his studio in 2009, and immediately drew attention with pieces like a coat in a peacock feather-loomed wool. Also, movie stars took to him. 

Naturally, his brand rose after Michelle Obama first wore his clothes in 2012. Says Mohapatra: “She’s one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. She’s gracious, kind, smart. And she knows what she likes.” And yes, he has designed something new for her now.

So who’s the Bibhu Mohapatra woman? He says: “The Bibhu woman is someone who’s cosmopolitan. She’s not necessarily a fashionista but she’s someone who’s passionate about something whether it’s art or raising kids. And she likes beautifully crafted clothes that have a soul.”

He’s certainly drawing enough women in India. He sells from Priya Sachdev’s Kitsch stores and may also retail from Le Mill. “Some day, I’ll have a bigger presence here,” he says. And he wants to work with Odisha’s weavers and “give ikat an international platform”.

As for his brand, he says. “We’ve added fine jewellery to the repertoire now. The goal is for the Bibhu Mohapatra brand to become a luxury lifestyle brand.” He’s certainly making the right cuts for that.