In October 2014, Quli Khan’s tomb in Mehrauli lit up as ace designer Rohit Bal presented a dreamlike sequence of voluminous anarkalis in his trademark whites and off whites, striped sarees paired with kedia blouses, velvet bandhgalas and silk sherwanis . Musician Shubha Mudgal sang, as models sashayed down the ramp at the 17th century complex. It was magic.
On November 1, 2024, Indian fashion lost its magician. Bal, who was battling a heart ailment, died at a hospital in Delhi, weeks after he presented his last collection Kaaynaat: A Bloom in the Universe as a part of the FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week. He was 63 As always, Bal did a little jig on the ramp as he took his final bow.
“I am shattered. He was in such high spirits at his last show. He was looking forward to the future.
He was ecstatic as he watched his creations walk down the ramp,” said Sunil Sethi, chairman of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). Born in Srinagar, Bal graduated from St Stephen’s College, went to NIFT, Delhi, and launched his label in 1986. He was among Indian fashion’s first major national and international successes.
Known for his love for whites, golds, off whites, and blacks, bold motifs such as the lotus, in a range of rich fabrics such as silk and velvet, Bal was a force to reckon with. “He introduced the big, flowing, crinkled anarkalis and everyone followed him. He started the trend.
Everything he made will be considered vintage, and those who own a piece by Bal will treasur.
