Fashion Designer : Rohit Bal

Rohit Bal

Style is the mantra for Rohit Bal, the fashion designer from the enduring valley of Kashmir. The "Bad Boy" of the fashion world, as Rohit Bal is popularly called, is known for his sophisticated cuts and breathing fabrics. He weaves in the best for both men and women. His creations are a reflection of his own personality- not restrained by any norms. Rohit Bal's creative mind gives a true bent of spirit in his work as well. Being christened by the Times magazine as the "Master of Fabric and Fantasy", he purely live up to the expectations of being among the bandwagon of the Indian fashion industry leaders. Subtle in his choice of colors, Rohit prefers to use pastels and earthy tones to dress up his men and women. However, there is no one-signature style that the designer sticks to.

Early Life

Rohit Bal was born in Kashmir. He imbibed all the charm and mystic beauty of the place and packed his bags to bring it to the capital, where he did his graduation from St. Stephens College, in history (hons). He also did a course from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, where he learned the art from cutting to stitching. Rohit started his career with his brother's export company, in the year 1986, and four years later, he created his independent line of garments. His first plunge into designing attires was with traditional men's wear. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Career and Success
It was Rohit Bal's first collection which brought success to this talented designer and since then, there has been no looking back. He has made a name globally. Rohit Bal has designed outfits using almost all fabrics. Even Khadi (Indian handloom textile) has been used by the immensely talented designer, to create exclusivity for the raw product and a demand in the market. Rohit has held shows in New York, London, Dubai, Singapore and Paris, including Paris Fashion Week

Rohit Bal was also chosen by the Khadi Gram Udyog, the largest handloom textile operation in India, to work with them. Rohit bagged the 'Designer of the Year' award at the Indian Fashion Awards in 2006. He was also made 'Designer of the Year' at the Kingfisher Fashion Achievement Awards in 2001. His line of designer clothes has been sold at even 15000 USD. His style is innovative and inventive and he does not shy away from having popular legends, history, fantasy or folklore on the outfits.

Brand and Clientele
The brand "Rohit Bal" created by the designer has been doing wonders in the fashion scenario. He has opened up a flagship store in Delhi and positioning stores at other places like Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Chennai as well. He also plans to open up stores in Middle East and Europe. After making a name for himself in the fashion fraternity, Rohit has also ventured into the designing jewellery for Kirtilals. He also plans to design and launch men's fashion accessories like cufflinks. The clientele list of this ace designer is a long one, some being celebrities like 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 and he is also the brand ambassador for their Omega Watches, since 2001.