From Nagpur to Cannes: The Journey of Manish Vaid
Nagpur-born designer Manish Vaid has carved a unique path in the global fashion industry, recently turning heads at the Cannes Film Festival and Paris Fashion Week. He prefers to call himself a 'fashion engineer' rather than a traditional fashion designer.
Early Life and Education in Nagpur
Although born outside Nagpur, Vaid was raised in the Orange City and spent most of his early life there. He completed his schooling at Dinanath High School, Dhantoli, and later pursued mechanical engineering at YCCE. He also earned an MBA and studied e-commerce. 'I was always experimenting. Even during my college days, I knew I wouldn't go into traditional mainstream fields. You need to explore the world; textbooks won't teach you everything,' he told TOI.
International Breakthrough
Vaid left Nagpur in 2003 and spent eight years in Jamaica, where he initially sourced jewelry from New York and China before transitioning into fashion clothing. His serious foray into fashion began around 2016 when he started sketching designs and working on resort collections. 'I spent a major part of my early years in Jamaica, and that influence is deeply reflected in my artwork. My work has largely evolved around hand-beaded resort wear and swimwear collections,' he said.
Paris and Global Recognition
Moving to Paris in 2021 was a turning point. Today, Vaid operates across Paris, Los Angeles, and Madrid, designing for international celebrities and beauty pageants like Miss Universe and Miss World. He has also worked with Hollywood personalities, including Jennifer Aniston. At Cannes this year, he designed outfits for several celebrities, including Olivia Yace (Miss Universe Ivory Coast) and Veena Singh (Miss Universe first runner-up 2025). 'Cannes festival is exciting but also very hectic. So many people want to be a part of it. But it is indeed a surreal experience in itself,' he said.
Nagpur Connection
Despite his global success, Vaid remains connected to Nagpur. 'Nagpur is very close to my heart. Whenever I visit the city, the breeze is reminiscent of the time I spent here,' said Vaid, son of Rotarian CS Vaid and Asha Vaid.
