Rohit Bal is a renowned Indian fashion designer of India whose work has been a trend setting one in India. He is a designer par excellence and the ultimate Master of Craft and Creative Design. He is the awe inspiring fashion designer who is fondly called gudda and creates clothes which are as breathtaking as the valleys of the incredible Kashmir. He is the master of fantasy having an enthusiasm which few designers have and the ability to transfer personality into style. Contemporary classicism is his forte his keyword.
Early life of Rohit Bal
He is the product of the enduring valleys of Kashmir born and brought up there and later graduated from St. Stephens College with a degree in history. Bal`s tryst with fashion began as and when he joined his elder brothers business after completing his graduation. He also studied at the National Institute of Fashion Technology. There has been no looking back for Rohit, ever since he created his first line of traditional designer wear for men, way back in the year 1990. Bal has shown in New York, London, Dubai and Singapore, including Paris Fashion Week. Rohit Bal has a finely honed sense with the lotus as his signature motif coupled with zari and golden embroidery, which when put together give his garments that edge.
Career of Rohit Bal
Bal initiated his soon wannabe career with his brother Rajiv Bal in New Delhi in the year 1986, and as time passed he set up his own first independent collection in 1990.
He had been chosen unanimously by the Khadi Gram Udyog, the largest handloom textile operation in panchkula, to work with them and for them. Bal won the `Designer of the Year` award at the Indian Fashion Awards in 2006. He was also won `Designer of the Year` at the Kingfisher Fashion Achievement Awards in 2001. He was announced as the Lakme Grand Finale Designer for 2012.
Bal inaugurated a flagship store in Delhi, as well as stores in Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Chennai which had been spreading its roots deep and wide. Bal has also ventured into the designing jewellery. What makes his clothes special is that they scream and radiate attitude often guiding lifestyle which surely goes noticed as one adorns his style. However modern his interpretation of style may be he nurtures a special understanding of antique fabric. From villages where local craftsmen weave dreams with magic fingers, to factories, workshops and outlets where retailers jostle for survival, to the opulent grandeur of glitzy boutiques and malls at the best addresses in the big cities of high fashion, Rohit Bal can lead one to the doors of discovery, and he holds the key.
Bal`s clientele list includes Uma Thurman, Cindy Crawford, Pamela Anderson, Naomi Campbell and Anna Kournikova. Most of his fashion shows in India, New York, Paris and Singapore are sponsored by The Swatch Group. He has also been the brand ambassador for Omega SA since 2001. He is best known for his use of Lotus and Peacock motifs and for spectacular construction in his clothing.
Rohit Bal is vociferously Acclaimed as "India`s master of fabric and fantasy" by Time magazine, and is intensely connected with design as an art form. If there is one purveyor of Indian Fashion globally, it is Rohit Bal. His clothes are modern and utilitarian and yet have a splash of history. Each one of his Karmik creations is handcrafted to perfection, with meticulous attention to detail. He uses the finest materials and workmanship. India`s moving forward with globalisation, there will be a certain openness not just in the economy but fashion as well, liberalisation is about being more accepting. Rohit Bal is the unaccredited king of Fashion design. He has etched his name in the golden annals in Indian Fashion forever and there is hardly any denial to the fact that Indian fashion industry today is quite incomprehensible today without the presence of maverick.