'Very Proud, Mumbaikar': Manish Malhotra Reacts To Time When Khloé Kardashian Called Him 'Local Designer' During Ambani Wedding

Desi fashion lovers still remember the collective gasp when Hollywood sensation Khloé Kardashian casually referred to Manish Malhotra as a “local designer” while showing off her lehenga at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s wedding. The comment instantly set off a wave of disbelief, memes, and debates across Indian social media. And now, months later, the designer himself has finally addressed the moment in his true style.

Manish Malhotra: 'I am local. Very proud, Mumbaiyakar'

In a recent conversation with Faye D’Souza on November 28, the 57-year-old couturier revisited the viral episode and revealed he wasn’t offended at all. Instead, he embraced the word with pride. “I am local. Very proud, Mumbaiyakar. I’m from Mumbai. And I always will be… Mumbai is my most favourite city, which I absolutely love. And India. And Indians. So I am local,” he said with a smile, adding, “Yeah, that was completely fine.”

Manish explained that Khloé personally reached out soon after the clip drew attention. "She texted me from there. And you know, Khloé texted me, ‘thank you for everything, it was so wonderful,’ and then she texted me about this local thing. And I was like, it's absolutely fine; it just became so popular."

Check out his reaction below:

What touched him most, however, was the reaction from Indian fans. As the clip spread online, the internet rushed to defend one of India's biggest fashion names.

Adding to him, Faye expressed, "A really heartwarming part about it was the general audience response on social media. Everybody was like, 'Haha, she called out Manish Malhotra, our local designer, because for us, you are the complete opposite of that, right? How could you not remember Manish Malhotra's name?'"

She added that the overwhelming love only made the moment sweeter. "I think it was such a massive compliment to who you are for Indian women… It’s so counterintuitive that someone would not remember your name because it's such a large part of culture," Faye said, describing the internet’s response as "cute."

The moment Khloé said it

The original comment came in July 2024, when Khloé posted a Snapchat video admiring her Ambani wedding lehenga. Dressed in a breathtaking hot pink embellished ensemble by Manish, she said, "How beautiful my clothes are that I've been wearing. So beautifully designed by a local designer. I'll get you his name."

While the internet spiralled, the designer stayed unfazed, and today, he's turned the whole viral comment into a heartwarming moment.