Rohit Bal (8 May 1961 – 1 November 2024) was an Indian fashion designer, known for his designs catering to both men and women. He began his career in 1986, founding Orchid Oversea Pvt. Ltd with his brother, and debuted his independent collection in 1990. Bal's work includes collaborations with Khadi Gram Udyog and designing costumes for the popular show ''

Kaun Banega Crorepati ''Kaun Banega Crorepati'' (simply ''KBC''; English: ''Who Will Become a Crorepati'') is an Indian Hindi-language television game show. It is the official Hindi adaptation of the '' Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' franchise. It is presented ...

''.

Early life and education

Rohit Bal was born on 8 May 1961 in the city of

Srinagar Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...

, in the

Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the Vale of Kashmir, is an intermontane valley in northern Jammu and Kashmir, a region in Indian-administered Kashmir.(a) (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcont ...

of the erstwhile

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...

of Jammu and Kashmir, into a

Kashmiri Pandit The Kashmiri Pandits (also known as Kashmiri Brahmins) are a group of Kashmiri Hindus and a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community of India. They belong to the Pancha Gauda Brahmin group from the Kashmir Valley, located within the In ...

family. Bal received his education from Woodlands House School and Burn Hall School in Srinagar, until his family left Kashmir, well before the start of the separatist Insurgency, in the 1970s. His family settled in

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

, where he completed his education at the Delhi Public School in Mathura Road. He later graduated with a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in History from the St. Stephen's College, Delhi. He studied fashion through a short course at the

National Institute of Fashion Technology National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is an autonomous institute offering courses in fashion, technology, and management. Its head office is located in New Delhi, India. History NIFT was established in 1986 under the Ministry of Tex ...

, and also later taught students at the Institute as guest faculty.

Career

Rohit Bal started his career with his brother Rajiv Bal in New Delhi in 1986 at the Company Orchid Overseas Pvt .Ltd, and started his own first independent collection in 1990. Bal was also chosen by the Khadi Gram Udyog, the largest handloom textile operation in

Panchkula Panchkula (ISO: ''Paṁcakulā'') is a city and district headquarter in the Panchkula district in Haryana, India. It is a satellite town of the state capital Chandigarh. Panchkula is a border city with Punjab, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh ...

, to work with them. Bal designed costumes for the popular Indian game show ''

''. Bal opened a flagship store in Delhi, as well as stores in Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Chennai. Bal also ventured into designing jewellery. Bal is best known for having used lotus and peacock motifs. He frequently employed rich fabrics like velvet, brocade and his designs were elaborate and inspired by Indian grandeur and royalty. He also partnered with Biba Apparels to create Biba by Rohit Bal. Bal's international client base included

Cindy Crawford Cynthia Ann Crawford (born February 20, 1966) is an American model. During the 1980s and 1990s, she was among the most popular supermodels and a ubiquitous presence on magazine covers and runways, as well as fashion campaigns. She subsequently ...

Pamela Anderson Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress, model and media personality. She rose to prominence after being selected as the February 1990 ''Playboy'' Playmate of the Month. She went on to make regular appearan ...

, and

Uma Thurman Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 and May 1986 cover ...

among various Indian celebrities. He was also a brand ambassador for Omega watches.

Illness and death

Bal underwent an

angioplasty Angioplasty, also known as balloon angioplasty and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, is a minimally invasive procedure, minimally invasive endovascular surgery, endovascular Medical procedure, procedure used to widen narrowed or obstructe ...

in 2010. In 2023, he was hospitalized at Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon, for a heart condition. Bal died in New Delhi on 1 November 2024, at the age of 63 from a cardiac-related issue. His last public appearance was the previous month during a collaboration show between FDCI and

Lakmé Cosmetics Lakmé is an Indian cosmetics brand owned by Hindustan Unilever. It was named after the French opera '' Lakmé'', which itself is the French word for the goddess Lakshmi who is renowned for her beauty. It was started in 1952 as a 100% subsidiar ...

Accolades

Rohit Bal won 'Designer of the Year' at the Kingfisher Fashion Achievement Awards in 2001. He also won 'Designer of the Year' award at the Indian Fashion Awards in 2006. He was awarded as the Lakme Grand Finale Designer for 2012. In 2020, he was recognized as "Iconic Fashion Designer of the country" by the jury of the Rajnigandha Pearls India Fashion Awards.

References

External links

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Biba by Rohit Bal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bal, Rohit 1961 births 2024 deaths Indian Hindus Kashmiri people Kashmiri Hindus Kashmiri Pandits Kashmiri Brahmins Indian fashion designers People from Srinagar People of Kashmir region People from Jammu and Kashmir People from Delhi Artists from Delhi St. Stephen's College, Delhi alumni Delhi University alumni National Institute of Fashion Technology alumni Indian LGBTQ artists LGBTQ fashion designers Fashion labels from India Indian costume designers