Mumbai, Legendary is how one would describe Rohit Bal and that's what will always be, says film costume designer Rick who worked with the late fashion industry veteran when he was just starting out. One of India's fashion pioneers, Bal fondly called Gudda by peers and friends died on Friday at a south Delhi hospital following a heart attack at the age of 63. Bal was "the OG of what fashion used to be in India", Rick said remembering his mentor.
"I worked with Rohit Bal for a couple of years as a backstage helper for fashion shows. So I used to meet him often. He was truly inspirational.
He put India on the map of couture. He was a pioneer in the world of fashion. "I can't tell you how amazing it was to have access to his clothes and to him.
It’s very sad, but I guess he was suffering for a long time. He was legendary, and the word legendary is what Rohit Bal was and he will always be that," Rick told PTI. Rick, who has styled Bollywood stars like Vidya Balan, Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, and Sonam Kapoor, said Bal was an institution in himself.
"What we used to study in design was that there are different kinds of finishing. Like in couture or high fashion, garments need to have a certain kind of finishing. That's what makes it different from ready-to-wear stuff.
"Rohit was one of those designers whose finishing was brilliant. It was what we were learning in school. To be able to experience those amazing garments, touch and see them was brilliant," added the former student.
