Rohit Bal
Rohit Bal
PlaceofBirth: Kashmir
Label: 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.
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.
Note
: He is the Indian ambassador for Omega watches.
His style
Draws inspiration from history, fantasy and folklore to create his masterpieces.
His collection is intelligent and studied, yet they are designed with a finely honed sense of
aesthetics.
Latest collection
As usual, black dominates his collection. Be it the black velvet front open tunic (hand
embroidered with metallic thread) or the black silk organza ankle length skirt. Even a stole to
match! Classic colours blend beautifully with his dramatic embellishments. Like the cream
silk open shirt with wine velvet applique and antique gold metallic embroidery (Mughal
inspired, of course).
Rina Dhaka
Label: Rina Dhaka
The 'Goddess of Oomph' of Indian fashion, designer Rina Dhaka styles clothes with a lot of fun. Being in the
industry for quite some time, Rina feels that globalization has opened up avenues for young and dynamic women
and with it, the options of women designers as well. To be in sync with demand for comfortable, yet
stylish outfits for offices, designers are trying out all possibilities of being creative. Rina Dhaka emphasizes
silhouette and is willing to take risks. In one collection, she mixed fur and boots with her Indian outfits, to create a
unique look. Every time, Dhaka tries to give four to five looks to in her collection.
Early Life
Rina Dhaka has been a dreamer ever since her childhood. For her, visuals are always more important than
words. After completing her graduation, she did a training project with Intercraft and also trained under Evan
Grandhal. She had opened up a salwar kameez boutique for one of her friend. It was also around this time that
Mutiny and Ensemble were coming up as fashion houses. Rina stated designing for these fashion houses and
her designs were well received by the people and thus, it confirmed her entry into fashion forum.
She is best known for her theme collections - sheer trousers, crochet, stretch jersey, woolens and spider web
motifs. Western wear still remains an area of dominance, though she also designs ethnic and conventional
attires. She prides on the fact that her pieces can be worn as separates. Attaining a lot of success nationally,
Dhaka has also achieved accredits internationally. Her works were featured in magazines, such as Vogue and
Elle.