Bibhu Mohapatra
March 22 - April 2, 2022
“When I think about my work, it always goes back to this idea of craft. Crafts that are ancient or dying or actively being reinvented...”
Bibhu Mohapatra
Bibhu Mohapatra grew up in Odisha on the east coast of India and moved to the United States in 1996. His years growing up in Odisha formed the expanding spirit of everything he sees and creates. His mother, Shashikala, instilled in him at an early age a near obsession with handwork and textiles as well as a deep appreciation for making clothes that function and symbolize something powerful.
Mohapatra graduated with from USU in 1998 with a master’s degree in merchandising from the Department of Human Environment. He subsequently earned a fashion design degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in 1999. Since then he became an assistant designer for Halston and numerous other lines.
In 2008 Mohapatra launched his own line and since then has presented many collections of luxury women’s ready to wear couture. He has also created costumes for the Verdi opera Aida and for The Washington National Opera. His clients include First Lady Michelle Obama, Viola Davis, Jennifer Lopez, Lupita Nyong’o, and Gwyneth Paltrow and this exhibition includes dresses designed for them.
While Mohapatra has garnered awards and recognition from Ecco Domani, the National Arts Club and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), he is resolute about his mission for making beautiful things.
In January 2010, Mohapatra was a finalist in the women’s apparel 2010 Rising Star award presented by the Fashion Group International. In May 2010, he received the Young Innovator award from the National Arts Club, and in June 2010 he became a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In January 2011, the designer received the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation award. The same year he was also selected for the CFDA Fashion Incubator, a program that was created to nurture and support promising young brands. In 2016, he launched his first ever fine jewelry collection, Artemis, in collaboration with DeBeers Forevermark.
Designing His Life: Bibhu Mohapatra Finds His Path - YouTube
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