Designer Bibhu Mohapatra's journey from India to New York

In his bright and airy studio near Times Square, Bibhu Mohapatra draped some sequined Spanish mesh fabric over a US size two mannequin and let fashion magic happen.
"It reminds me of my childhood in India where you'd put up mosquito nets at night, but with a little glitter in it," the 41-year-old designer said.
"It's sheer, but it drapes beautifully, so I'm trying to figure out how to utilise it."
Such scenes of creative experimentation are unfolding in fashion houses big and small in the run-up to the Spring 2014 collections that start coming down the runway in New York on Thursday.

More than 300 shows and presentations are on the schedule at Lincoln Center and other venues, before the fashion spotlight swings over to London, Milan and Paris.
Mohapatra will send out his latest creations for the namesake label on September 11, but if he's feeling the pressure, he doesn't show it.

In a black T-shirt, jeans and sneakers, he's a serene presence in the 11th floor studio/showroom/atelier where he employs seven people full time, up from two when he started out nearly five years ago.
"It's been really quite an interesting journey," he told AFP one recent morning. "As long as you're open to learning, then you can really build something."

Mohapatra's interest in fashion goes back to his childhood in the Indian state of Orissa where, on an old sewing machine and some tutoring from his mother, he created outfits for his first muse -- his sister.
What he calls "a detour in my life" led him in 1996 to university in the western US state of Utah, where he picked up a graduate degree in economics.
Moving to New York, he enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Technology, won its Critic's Award for Best Evening Wear Designer in his senior year, interned at Halston, then spent eight years as design director at J Mendel.

Since striking out on his own, his list of clients and fans has grown to include Hollywood stars and First Lady Michelle Obama, who selected a yellow print dress from his 2012 resort collection for a talkshow appearance.
For this season, Mohapatra is taking inspiration from Wendy Whelan, a close friend who is reinventing herself through modern dance at the age of 41 after retiring as principal dancer with the New York City Ballet.