“Irreparable loss,” the phrase that leapt out for this author from economist and author Bibek Debroy’s last piece of public writing published posthumously, is one of the blandest cliches casually thrown around in obituaries. Debroy, in his characteristic sardonic humorist style, punched a hole in the vacuous loftiness of the phrase. Irreparable loss to whom and why?

When everything is superlative and exaggerated, including a show of emotions, what happens to the normal-sized sentiments? When everything is already campy, how do you express the loss of something that was really grand to begin with? Like Rohit Bal’s creative convictions.

One of the pioneers of the Indian fashion industry as we know it today, Rohit Bal, is dead at 63, leaving behind a legacy of design sensibility that almost everyone admired and a persona that raised many an eyebrow. He seemed to care for neither and carried on regardless.

Bold, Just Like That

Bal’s privileged family background allowed him to wade through the waters of uncertainty in a newly emerging industry in pre-liberalisation India. He launched his label in 1986 when fashion was still not seen as a viable business in the country and luxury was seen only through the prisms of the Western outlook of consumerism and the exclusive extravagance of royalty. One of the first graduates of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bal was able to blend creativity and business to lead the way for at least three generations of Indian fashion designers.

What set Bal apart from most of his peers and successors was his nonchalance about the risks he was taking. He was, for example, the first Indian fashion designer to start his restaurant. Veda was opened in 2005 in Delhi’s Connaught Place. To understand the audacity of this venture, consider this: Beige Alain Ducasse by Chanel opened in Tokyo in 2004, his contemporaries Dolce and Gabbana launched their Martini Bar in Milan in 2003, and Ralph Lauren’s restaurant opened its doors in Chicago in 1999. Bal’s design icon, Giorgio Armani, was the trendsetter in this fashion-culinary crossover when he launched his first restaurant in Paris in 1998.

Couture Meets Affordability

Bal was also the first Indian fashion stalwart to start an exclusive line of childrenwear, ‘Bal Bachche’, in 2021. He betted on the emergent guilt-ridden parenting style of urban India. If you cannot give your children time, give them beautiful clothes at least. Bal’s business decisions, including collaborations where he lent his name to products, were an extension of his personality: do what you feel is the correct thing. Not everything he did worked out as expected, but that didn’t deter him from either exploring new business ways to expand his brand of fashion or tirelessly working on what made his brand unique. He wasn’t threatened by the dilution that pret brings to any couturier’s oeuvre. The grandiosity of couture easily dovetailed into Bal’s more affordable clothes without reducing them to a pastiche.   

Debroy’s last published essay examined whether obituaries mean anything at all. “There are lives my life has touched, improved, even bruised. If they get to know, they may remember, with fondness and bitterness. Such people don’t write obituaries.” In Bal’s case, the obituaries and tributes are pouring in from people who are out there on society pages. Who’s to tell whether the grief is real, manufactured, or imagined? In all the accounts, though, what shines through is Bal’s irrepressible personality. A man who gave his all to things, ideas, and people that mattered.

Fashion Over Business

For many growing up during the turn of the millennium, Bal was iconic. Even those who did not know about his lotuses and peacocks knew, or at least speculated, about his love life. As if it was any of anyone’s business. What he was doing back then for the indigenous handicraft traditions of Kashmir by catapulting them into a viable business scene through global visibility should have become everyone’s business. Bal started the trend of diaphanous anarkalis, jalabiyas, and lehengas, which required a lot of fabric. The weavers benefitted from this. 

Bal was often frustrated by how the Indian fashion scene was marred by cult worship and herd mentality. He was one of those few in the fashion business who actually cared more for fashion and less for business. He was aware that a large chunk of his “fans” were more interested in his personal life than in his designs. He was, however, conscious of the doors that his celebrity opened and acknowledged the same in many of the few interviews he gave.

Bal’s growing cynicism around the fashion world went hand in hand with his growing commitment to creativity. Despite his health issues, he wanted to do more and more—like adding layers to his unisex skirts. Only those in his innermost circle may be able to shed light on this contradiction. And that can happen only when the grandiosity of grief subsides. 

(Nishtha Gautam is a Delhi-based author and academic.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

New Delhi:

“A king among designers. A prince among men.” At his comeback show last month, now his last show, a visibly weaker Rohit Bal walked hand-in-hand with actor Ananya Panday as models sashayed down the Lakme Fashion Week ramp in rich designs and elegant silhouettes.

Though a prolonged cardiac illness impacted his physical health and public appearances, his work showed that he continued to own the title bestowed on him by the TIME magazine – ‘The Master of Fabric and Fantasy’.

Rohit Bal, lovingly called ‘Gudda’ but also termed ‘Enfant terrible’, is synonymous with shows that broke norms, remained timeless and to this day offer an unparalleled definition of luxury-meets-modernity. Case in point, his 2015 show against the backdrop of the Qutub Minar, or a gender-bender show featuring male models in ghagra skirts and sindoor. And then there was his historic Lodhi show, where models wore richly-embroidered outfits and walked into a pool, resembling lilies and lotuses. (Fun fact: He, too, later jumped into the pool!)

Rohit Bal drew inspiration from his Kashmiri heritage, with floral and peacock motifs becoming synonymous with his label launched in 1989. The embroidery was rich and his deep understanding of Indian textiles was evident. His expertise lay in marrying luxurious fabrics, bold colours, detailing and silhouettes to put on display the cultural heritage of India.

It is no wonder then that his label expanded quickly to the Middle East and Europe and his designs adorned a plethora of Indian and international personalities, including Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Uma Thurman, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Pamela Anderson.

On his website, Bal described himself as a designer who “combines the right mix of history, folklore, village craft, and dying arts to create imaginative and innovative masterpieces for catwalks and fashion talks”.

Long before the age of mass apparel production leading to movements advocating equitable earnings of artisans, Rohit Bal’s emphasis on the craftsman’s contribution was evident in his work. He also played mentor to many designers in he 1990s, including Pankaj and Nidhi and Sahil Kochhar.

He dipped his toes in the world of food, opening the rustic Veda and laidback Cibo in Delhi. Rohit Bal also found his way to the silver screen, appearing in Hollywood film True West and Indian films Monsoon Wedding and Boom.

Rohit Bal called his last show ‘Kaynaat’ a celebration of “the bloom of life and beauty”. Like all his work in a career spanning over three decades, the collection is a reminder that classic elegance outlives time, generations and an ever-changing fashion aesthetic. As the curtains come down on the designer’s illustrious life, his creations will go from being tools of beauty and expression to stories and art.

New Delhi:

Rohit Bal, one of India’s most renowned fashion designers, has died at the age of 63. 

A friend of the designer told NDTV that Bal was in the ICU a week before his last show in October. He was discharged and then admitted to the Aashlok Hospital in Delhi on Wednesday, where he died of a cardiac arrest on Friday.

In a post on Instagram, the Fashion Design Council of India recalled the contributions of the fashion icon, who was also known as Gudda. 

“We mourn the passing of Legendary designer Rohit Bal. He was a founding member of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). Known for his unique blend of traditional patterns with modern sensibilities, Bal’s work redefined Indian fashion, and inspired generations. His legacy of artistry, and innovation along with forward thinking will live on in the fashion world. Rest in peace GUDDA,” the council wrote. 

FDCI president Sunil Sethi said the designer will be cremated on Saturday. 

“It’s true that he has passed away. He had a cardiac arrest… heart failure. Rohit was a legend, we are completely shaken right now. We are trying to work out details for the cremation tomorrow,” Mr Sethi told news agency PTI.

Born in Srinagar, Bal began his career in 1986 and rose to become one of the biggest names in the Indian fashion industry. He won ‘Designer of the Year’ at the Indian Fashion Awards in 2006, and the Kingfisher Fashion Achievement Awards in 2001. He was also named the Lakme Grand Finale Designer in 2012. 

After battling illness, the designer made a return to the runway at the Lakme Fashion Week X FDCI grand finale last month where he showcased his collection ‘Kaaynaat: A Bloom in the Universe’. Lakme’s brand ambassador, actor Ananya Panday, walked the ramp as the showstopper in a Rohit Bal signature ensemble.

Raymond Group Chairman Gautam Singhania mourned the death of the designer, calling him an “incredible friend”. 

Heartbroken to say goodbye to an incredible friend. You brought so much light, laughter, and kindness into the lives of everyone around you. I’m grateful for every moment we shared, every laugh, every conversation. You’ll be missed beyond words, but your spirit will live on in… pic.twitter.com/uH1L2Z73i0

— Gautam Singhania (@SinghaniaGautam) November 1, 2024

“Heartbroken to say goodbye to an incredible friend. You brought so much light, laughter, and kindness into the lives of everyone around you. I’m grateful for every moment we shared, every laugh, every conversation. You’ll be missed beyond words, but your spirit will live on in all of us. Rest peacefully, my friend,” he wrote in a post on X.

Journalist Vir Sanghvi said the world is a poorer place without Bal. 

RIP Rohit Bal. Gone too soon.
A king among designers. A prince among men. He had been famous for over three decades. But he never stopped being a regular guy, always ready with a laugh,always a friend first & a creative genius second.
The world is a poorer place without him pic.twitter.com/TIhiaHyUbt

— vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) November 1, 2024

“RIP Rohit Bal. Gone too soon. A king among designers. A prince among men. He had been famous for over three decades. But he never stopped being a regular guy, always ready with a laugh, always a friend first & a creative genius second. The world is a poorer place without him,” Mr Sanghvi posted.