Beloved Rohit "Gudda" Bal, India’s most famous designer who brought fantasy to the runway, passed away in Delhi on 1 November. Known as the life of every party, everyone who had some connection to the world of fashion or Page 3 gatherings had a story to share about him. Lovingly called “Gudda” by his closest friends, few, had access to the real Rohit Bal. To most, he was the designer who put on stunning, larger-than-life shows, the life of every party—a true force on the scene. But those who knew the man behind the glamour understood his depth and warmth, and they loved him all the more for it.
In an interview with Shefalee Vasudev, he once said, “People see me in photographs surrounded by pretty models and think I’m a snobbish, high-maintenance designer all about beauty and hedonism. When they meet me, they realise how fake that perception is.”
His death was mourned by friends across the fashion fraternity, who paid tribute to their friend. Designer Varun Bahl, one of his closest friends, wrote, “Our shared love for beauty, for Kashmir, for our brotherhood. Two decades of deep conversations, of couture, of a shared culture. You are my brother, my advisor, my best friend, and you always will be. Paradise has gained an icon, and we have lost ours. There’s a party up there for you, there are fireworks, and they’re all for you, Gudda. There you are, sparkling, shining bright, like the star you will always be. We love you forever.” He added, “Rest in Paradise, Gudds.”
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Designer Malini Ramani shared, “Gudda… the one and only, legendary and epic! I’m at a loss for words, like so many others. All I can think of is your extraordinary talent—‘pathbreaking’—and your passion for life: your groovy dance moves, inspiring designs that have mesmerised us for three decades, and how we will all miss your laughter. Rest in peace, my friend. Shine brighter in the skies; you shall be missed. We will never forget your magic!”
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An old friend of Bal, designer Rina Dhaka shared a photo of them on her Instagram story, writing, “Born to be forever young. On Diwali night, a star in the sky.”
A founding member of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), Bal was honoured by FDCI’s Chairman, Sunil Sethi, who said, “I have known Rohit Bal, whom we all lovingly call ‘Gudda,’ for more than three decades. His passing will leave a void in the fashion world forever. Everyone admired his attention to detail, how beautifully his lotus bloomed on modern silhouettes, and his understanding of what modern women desired. Rohit changed the lexicon of fashion! He was a front runner in more ways than one—leading from the front, with clothing that withstood the test of time and tide, just like him.”
Models Lakshmi Rana and Sonalika Sahay remembered their decades long association with Bal.
"Heartbroken… Forever Gudda …. You will be in my heart as the sweetest memory in these 24 years of Fashion. No one like you. Rest in peace my darling Gudds, till we meet again .. in a different realm," wrote Lakshmi.
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