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He blazed a trail on the catwalks of high fashion, blending traditional craft with bold aesthetics to create designs that found appeal in India and also the west. Rohit Bal was a pioneer and legacy maker, his creations grandiose, his shows opulent – much like the man himself.
Bal, instrumental in building the Indian fashion industry at a time few thought it could be a full-time career and a lucrative one at that, died on Friday night after a heart attack. He was 63.
Once called “India’s Master of fabric and fantasy” by Time magazine, often termed maverick and the enfant terrible of the industry, Bal was one of the early designers to put Indian fashion on the global map with his designs being chosen by Hollywood celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, Uma Thurman, Pamela Anderson and Naomi Campbell.
Noted Indian fashion designers, including Sabyasachi Mukherjee, JJ Valaya and Gaurav Gupta, as well as Bollywood celebrities like Former Miss World Priyanka Chopra Jonas and former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen have condoled the death of renowned designer Rohit Bal.
Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen, who posted a nostalgic photo with Rohit, expressing her condolences with the message, “An indomitable spirit and what a pioneer!! Rest in peace #RohitBal”
Priyanka Chopra Jonas honored Rohit Bal with a heartfelt tribute on her Instagram stories, sharing a touching photo of the designer along with the message, “Gone too young, Rest peacefully #RohitBal.”
Fashion Designer Manish Malhotra in moving post on X Tweeted , Rohit Bal was a true pioneer, merging Indian craftsmanship with modern fashion in a way only he could.
“Rohit Bal was a true pioneer, merging Indian craftsmanship with modern fashion in a way only he could. I remember meeting him in the ’90s, just as Rangeela had released. It was Rohit’s fashion show which was my first Indian fashion show I watched live, held at the Imperial Hotel… pic.twitter.com/hNrdTRNxKS
— ManishMalhotraWorld (@MMalhotraworld) November 2, 2024
