How Manish Arora went from being 'god' of fashion to failed businessman

Manish Arora was the breakout fashion star of India. Today, his business is in tatters, with a trail of debts. What happened?

In September, Manish Arora, a fashion designer once described as the “John Galliano of India,” announced that he was creating a pop-up restaurant in Paris, his adopted hometown, for the Holi festival. An Instagram slide show, featuring the brightly colored maximalism that is the Indian designer’s signature, depicted Mr. Arora with assorted friends sampling traditional Indian snacks.

Days later, he introduced a high-profile fashion collaboration with Amazon India, alongside three more of India’s most celebrated designers: JJ Valaya, Ashish Soni and Suneet Varma. Mr. Arora is also currently a member of the advisory council for the International Woolmark Prize, one