On 1st November 2024, as Indians were still immersed in the fervor of Diwali, a kind and talented soul left this Earth from the Aashlok Hospital in New Delhi. Rohit Bal was a ‘Titan’ of the fashion industry, one whose reputation preceded himself. As someone highly idolized by his peers, the fashion industry, and all of Bollywood, Rohit Bal got the deserved respect at his funeral.
Bal, who was affectionately called ‘Gudda’ by everyone who loved him, passed away due to a heart attack while he was admitted to the Aashlok Hospital. Even in his last few hours, he was hoping to recover. He had been suffering from a heart condition for more than a year then, and had also been hospitalized at the Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon last year. The slow decline in his health started after he underwent an angioplasty in 2010. His health was never the same after that.
He came from a Kashmiri Pandit family in the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir. It was the separatist Insurgency in Kashmir in the 1970s, which forced his family to move to New Delhi. There Bal did his Bachelor’s in History from St. Stephen’s College before completing a short course at the National Institute of Fashion Technology.
Bal died at the age of 63, but not before leaving an indelible mark in the Indian fashion industry. In his dazzling career of nearly four decades, Bal has designed Amitabh Bachchan’s clothes for KBC (Kaun Banega Crorepati), collaborated with Khadi Gram Udyog, and partnered with Biba Apparels to create Biba by Rohit Bal, among many other achievements. His act and contribution will be impossibly hard to follow, and has been even 14 months after his passing.
In 1986, Bal founded a company called Orchid Oversea Pvt. Ltd. with his brother Rajiv Bal. Therefore, at the peak of his youth at 25, Bal began his career in the fashion industry. Within four years, he debuted his independent collection. In no time, his flagship stores started opening up in all major Indian cities like Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, etc. The fashion world started to take note of him in a major way.
Rohit Bal’s inspirations speak a lot about his design and style. He was forever enamored by the grandeur of the Indian royal heritage of yesteryears. The intricate carvings, the ornate designs, and the detailed and laborious handiwork of the artists were all fascinating to him from a young age. His inspirations were felt in his designs, especially in the peacock and lotus motifs which were his specialty. He also made frequent use of rich fabrics like velvet, brocade, etc.
For his contributions to the fashion industry, Rohit Bal won many accolades and awards. Be it the ‘Designer of the Year’ award at the Kingfisher Fashion Achievement Awards in 2001, or the ‘Designer of the Year’ award at the Indian Fashion Awards in 2006, or being recognized as the ‘Iconic Fashion Designer of the country’ by the jury of the Rajnigandha Pearls India Fashion Awards, Bal has won an eclectic variety of prizes. But his real reward lies in the impact he made in people’s lives.
After he passed away, tributes for him had poured in from every corner of the entertainment industry. Celebrities like Kareena Kapoor, Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Esha Gupta, etc. paid their tributes and sent their prayers and well wishes to the bereaved family. His fashion peers Tarun Tahiliani and JJ Valaya were also among many to pay their last respects.
The Lakme Fashion Week 2024, from October 9-13, also paid tribute to Bal, who was the designer and courtier. He was already in a fragile state then, as he struggled to walk up the stage.
However, it was a very emotional moment for the crowd gathered there. Bal, who boasted of an international client base like Cindy Crawford, Pamela Anderson, and Uma Thurman among others, will forever be remembered worldwide for all the work he did and the lives he touched with it.
