Paco Rabanne drops art director Arora by 'mutual' accord

PARIS - Fashion house Paco Rabanne, which launched a women's ready-to-wear line last year, has dismissed its artistic director, Manish Arora of India, by a "mutual agreement," it said Friday.

"We are most grateful to Manish for the work accomplished and the energy that he displayed all along this project," it said in a statement.

Paco Rabanne AW 12/13 by Manish Arora. Photo: Pixelformula.

"The strong media impact of the past two seasons has enabled Paco Rabanne to partake with strength in the universe of contemporary fashion," it added, without explaining why Arora was leaving.

Arora, who has his own line of apparel in an array of psychedelic colours and snappy prints, presented a critically acclaimed collection for Paco Rabanne in March.

His first creations for the Paris-based Spanish fashion house, unveiled in September last year in its first show since 2006, featured exaggerated shoulders and hips reminiscent of Thierry Mugler's silhouettes of the 1980s.

Arora, a Bombay native who lives in New Delhi, said in the statement: "Revisiting the Paco Rabanne fashion was a very enriching experience and an exceptional artistic and human adventure."

He added: "I am, today, happy to have accomplished the mission I was trusted with in order to cast this iconic brand back into the spotlight."