Rohit Bal’s untimely demise on November 1, 2024, left a huge void in the Indian Fashion Industry. The bundle of unparalleled creativity that Bal was needs to be celebrated and is being celebrated. Recently the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) in association with Blender’s Pride had a legacy show of Rohit Bal and reams and reams have been written about Rohit Bal and his eponymous label and rightfully so. We had read lots of tributes and obituaries and here we attempt to share something new about the life of Rohit Bal.
Photo by Raajessh Kashyap/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Being part of the conversation between Rohit Bal and Lynne Franks, OBE, an advisor with the British Fashion Council then, understood Rohit Bal’s vision not only for his namesake label but for the fashion industry in entirety. Bal was one of the handful designers who worked toward the setting up of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and was the founder member of the organisation. It was his vision to take Indian fashion from a ‘garage industry’ to a more structured business. Conversations with Bal were indeed educational and thought provoking. Most of it happened in his then office in Amrit Nagar or at the prestigious Mecca of fashion retail, Carma in Mehrauli.
Photo by Waseem Gashroo/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Rohit Ball was from one of the first batches that graduated from the National Institute of Fashion Technology. Bal launched his menswear in 1989 and slowly moved to womenswear. In a short span of seven years, his work caught global attention. In 1996, the Time Magazine labeled him as the “India’s Master of Fabric and Fantasy.”
Photo credit: SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images
Bal’s design can be summarised as opulent. His silhouettes were grand — the flowy lehengas, the Kama-Sutra cholis, the long floor-duster coats, regal sherwanis and dapper bandhgalas were epitome of master craftsmanship and immaculate tailoring. Embellished with huge motifs of Lotus, Nandi the bull, Peacocks and Roses, the ensembles stood out in the crowd. The creations are of timeless elegance. In the legacy show put up by FDCI, we saw Bal’s creations from the 90s, early 2000s, 2015 till his last collection, “Kayanat” showcased in October 2024, we saw distinct Bal signature prevailing over signature long coats, over voluminous lehengas, intricately embroidered sherwanis, bandhgalas and sarees. The huge rose motifs, the floral creepers climbing up from the hem towards the bust, iconic lotus motifs woven with zardozi and dori embroidery on rich velvet, handwoven silks and muslin were simply magical. The distinct element of Rohit Bal design is the placement of the embroideries. He believed in large motifs and placed them strategically on the garment so that it punctuated the silhouette in sync with its cut, seams and drape. It’s an art that requires a deft eye and understanding of the garment engineering process. The floor-duster coats of Rohit Bal has been a much aped style but no one does it as Bal does.
Photo by Chirag Wakaskar/WireImage
A man who voiced his opinions strongly, Bal wasn’t a fan of having a Bollywood star as a show-stopper in a fashion show. “The clothes are my star. Why would I like to overshadow them by having a movie star”, used to be a curt reply whenever anyone asked Rohit Bal if he is having a Bollywood show-stopper for his show. Rohit Bal was a man of opinions and lived life on his own terms. This may have irked few but was loved by most. Bal’s birthday parties were like an event. If you are somebody and not invited to Rohit Bal’s birthday bash, you ain’t really happening. Rohit Bal the man was as big as Rohit Bal, the label, if not bigger. In his last years, Bal spoke about people more interested in him than his clothes and that everybody wanted a piece of him.
Photo credits: Rohit Bal
Coming back to Rohit Bal’s grand shows, one shouldn’t forget to mention his ‘Summer 2015’ show for Lakme India Fashion Week titled ‘Gulbagh’, which was mounted around Quli Khan’s tomb, next to Qutub Minar. Live music by Sobha Mudgal and gorgeous ensembles on the ramp still makes it one of the most iconic ones in India. Then there was the show at The Lodhi hotel, where models in Ivory ensembles walked into a pool filled with lotuses followed by Bal himself immersing in the grandeur and luxury of it all.
Photo credits: Rohit Bal
Remember the cameo Rohit Bal played in Kaizad Gustad’s movie, ‘Boom’ (2003)? Had the fortune of chatting with Kaizad and Rohit before the movie went on to the floor and saw Bal’s large heartedness when he guided Kaizad to other designers that would fit the plot of the movie. Bal was a great mentor and an equally great motivator. Designers like Ashish Soni, Manish Arora, Pankaj Ahuja and Anjali Kalia who once worked with Rohit Bal were always supported by him when they branched out independently. He would stand near the photographers podium and watch his proteges’ shows and clap enthusiastically as his babies took the bow.
Photo credits: Rohit Bal
Bal did venture out from his couture and pret wear fashion to Rohit Bal ‘Home’. Readers may recall a stylish sherwani with an Eagle motif donned by Akshay Kumar in the movie ‘Singh is King’ (2008). The look and the motif got hugely popular. Rohit Bal transferred the same eagle motif onto cushion covers that sold like hot cakes at Crate & Barrel, a huge home furnishing chain in America. The most interesting fact is that the motif was designed not by thread work but by a multitude of fastening hooks stitched together as an eagle. Shades of avant-garde style were visible in many of Bal’s muslin pieces in Ivory with simple detailing like accordion pleats, block prints and fluid drapes.One of his latest ventures had been the kidswear which he titled “Bal Bache”. This was the time when Rohit Bal’s health had been failing him and he had to spend months in intensive care.
Photo credits: Rohit Bal
Health may not have been on Rohit Bal’s side over the past few years but the creative genius in him sparkled brilliantly. Bal’s description of his last collection, “Kaaynaat: A Bloom in the Universe,” as a journey through the wonders of nature, celebrating the bloom of life and beauty, appears to be an apt summary of his own life.
Text by Jaydeep Ghosh
Image Courtesy: Rohit Bal, Raajessh Kashyap/Hindustan Times, Waseem Gashroo/Hindustan Times, SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP, Chirag Wakaskar/WireImage
