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. 

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.

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.

Is handcrafted to perfection, with meticulous attention to detail. 

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. 

Career and Success

It was very early in her career when Rina got accolades for one of her design for the Miss India event from Rohit
Khosla, the only ingenious designer of that time. The encouragement acted as a booster for Rina, who was all
the more excited to bring out the best in her. Her first show in Singapore "The Best of Indian Haute Couture" met
with a thumping success. Rina has also won a Yuva Rattan award in career, which is spread over almost three
decades now. 

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. 

Brand and Clientele

Rina Dhaka has her collections, under the label 'Rina Dhaka', in stores like Carma-Delhi, Design Studio-Mumbai,
Kimaya-Mumbai, Selfridges-London, Coin-Italy and Lord and Taylor-New York. She has also opened a studio in
Hauz Khaz village for Lycra in Delhi. The clientele list of this bold designer includes eminent personalities such
as Naomi Campbell, Uma Thruman, Susan Fales Hill, Molly Simns, Tara Palmen Tomkison, Lara Dutta, and
Diana Hayden. Her work has been featured in publications such as Marie Claire Paris, Madame Figaro Paris,
Vogue London, New York Post, Vanity Fair, etc.