Fame rests lightly but with certainly on Rohit Bal, whom Time magazine in its Special Report on India profiled as 'India's Master of fabric and fantasy.' The regard he commands among the top echelons of Indian fashion is endorsed by a discerning, high-profile clientele, that includes some of India's biggest names in media, films, fashion and the corporate world. His affair with the media has been long-standing and passionate. Never, it seems, has one man been the focus of attentions of so many. Reams of adulatory print continues to roll off the presses as he unveils one collection after another, each one more fantastic than the last. Intensely concerned with design as an art form, he draws upon history, fantasy and folklore to create his masterpieces, which retail for up to 10,000 USD. These are gone before you know it snapped up by the discerning and needless to say, the wealthy, completely does he seem to have understood the psyche of the target customer, that fashion pundits credit him with setting the trend for every season. His address to the fashion scene is intelligent and studied, yet imaginative and inspired.
Graduating from Delhi's St. Stephen's College with a first class (Hons.) degree in History, the compulsive designer worked for few years with his brother's export company. In1990 he created his first line- traditional designer wear from men and the rest, indeed, is history. The designer's sense of aesthetics is finely honed, and each of his creation is handcrafted to perfection, with meticulous attention to detail. He has access to the best to industry has to offer in terms of materials and workmanship. From villages where local craftsmen weave dreams with magic fingers, to factories, workshop and outlets where retailers jostle for survival, to the opulent grandeur of glitzy boutique and malls at the best addresses in the big cities of high fashion, Rohit Bal can lead one of the doors of discovery, and he holds the key.
Rohit Bal has designed clothes for well known personalities in India and abroad. These names would include Uma Thurman, Cindy Crawford, Pamela Anderson, Naomi Campbell, to name just a few. Anna Kournikova, the famous tennis star, in fact even walked down the ramp in one of his shows. He has had successful stand alone fashion shows in New York, London, Paris, Dubai, Singapore, Mauritius, Sao Paolo and all the major cities in India including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Calcutta, to name a few.
Rohit Bal was chosen as an ambassador for Omega when they re-launched their watches in India four years ago. Since then he has shared a close & personal relationship with the Swatch Group. Omega has sponsored all the shows Rohit Bal has had in India & in Paris as well. His integrity and distinction as a designer is made obvious by this long standing association.
He was awarded the designer of the year at the I. F. A. Fashion awards last year. He was also awarded the best designer of the year at the Kingfisher Fashion achievement awards 2001. He was also chosen by the Khadi Gram Udyog to collaborate with Khadi and design collections for them to sell in all their outlets. K. G. U. is the largest handloom textile operation in India and Rohit Bal's association with the same is a matter of great pride for him. The most celebrated designer in the country today.
Rohit want's to achieve international status by setting up operations overseas and closer back home he wants to make his clothes more accessible and affordable, so many more people will be able to buy and wear his clothes. This he says "Will make me happy."