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Unstoppable creativity, a controversial persona．larger-than-life collections，an alternative take on family and a heart of gold--the world of Rohit Bal，designer extraordinaire，has the speedometer jumping．By BANDANA TEWARI
1 .Rohit Bal in a faded black Lacoste tee and Tod’s loafers (that have walked many an adventurous mile)，a tiny rudraksha bobbing about his neckline and a bohemian mane kept in check by all ordinary hairband is busy. Racks and racks of spectacular clothes line up against the wall of the fitting room at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai.In front of it are models (the finest crop) nervously parading for him．with the deftness of a hawk．he swoops on the beauties best suited for the Indian bridal collection that he will be showing at lakme Fashion Week autumn／winter 2011-12．There are squeals of delight from those he selected；and the pain of those he didn’t is palpable．His fashion shows are，without a doubt，ones that can make or break a model’s career．
2 . “Take that garment off．You know how finicky I am if the design doesn’t camplement the body welI。”says Bal over the rustling silk of gargantuan creations that easily weigh three times the models. One silhouette—an exotic tapered anarkali coat embroidered with birds，flowers and trees and worn over a bridal dress—has everyone in raptures．The scale of his designs and the audacity of his creativity are as large as his personality He reminds me of what AIexander McQneed once said: “Because I am always surrounded by what’s going on,I am ways moving with it,not following it．”And this Kashmiri will do anything but follow．“Leave that to the sheep”says Bal,when I quote McQueen to him．
3. There are a few things that we editors,as purveyors of fashion，are privy to while we sit by the ringside of a fashion designer’s life.I noticed,in Bal’s latest bridal collection for Lakme Fashion
Week，a leitmotif--a peacock—appear irreverently in his clothes．Four years ago，for Vogue’s launch issue，Bal had said to me：“To some．the peacock is a symbol of vanity．To me，the unfurling of the peacock’s plume is really another universe revealing its stars，sun，rnoon．’’
And there lies the root of his design ideology，which pervades every other-palitical，social，sexual．This other universe that he speaks of and nurtures with great love and sincerity encompasses freedom for women via clothes(“freedom from mental colonialism．”he says，“which [hinders] our country from celebrating our sartorial heritage”)．a conviction in gay rights；a belief in prochoice。He’s a designer who uses his fame and power to comment on Indian society and its politics The peacock，a simple embroidered design，becomes a symbol of freedom in every sphere of Bal’s life．When the plumes open up，so to speak．it is a reminder to open our minds and embrace a world that may be different from our own; alien but certainly acceptable．
The social and gender history of modern India runs alongside Bal’s creative gusto．Right from the’80s．when he came into the limelight as a defiant designer．He began creating a world around him that included everything he believed in．Walk into his library-like home in New Delhi and you will see a posse of fabulous young men sauntering around；but observe closely and you will find his idea of an alternative family，where love and loyalty abound．At home，Bal is likely to burst into old Kishore Kumar songs or hand out colossal coffee-table books on Frank Gehry or Mario Testino for all to enjoy Rich biryani is in endless supply．His entourage of young men keep a protective，indulgent eye on him：when undesirable media approach him，they create a defensive shield：medicines are handed to him at the right time；no matter how raucous the party．when he picks up that extra，unnecessary drink，they pounce on him and confiscate it；when he is sullen． They all listen to mellow Sufi music；when he’s playful．the raunchiest Bollywood songs come on and all hell breaks loose．This family of his is not just about disen-franchised souls congregating together-it’s a space full of creativity，love and respect.“In my home，”Bal says．“no one is judged and everyone is important。”
The unfettered freedom and parallel world he creates can be seen in the way he has designed clothes for women.When nouveau India with its unprecedented GDP began it’s meteoric rise，splurging on luxury that was more debilitating than empowering(think Lycra tops，bad-ass baubles and Velcro sandals) ,Bal fought for the sanctity of lndian wear．He went back to Mughal history and resurrected traditionsl silhouettes like the anarkali，angrakha，sharara and lehenga，albeit with a modern touch．He put to use Western pattern-cutting methods for classic Indian designs，giving them a shape and form befitting the aesthetics of modern men and women-regal but real (the intricately embroidered or patch-work jackets can easily be worn with one’s favourte jeans and boots in Paris or New York)．At a pace that only he is capable of sustaining he shifted entire
silhouettes that were prevalent on the ramps of his competitors (and becoming representative 0f_Indian wear) from testimonies of forced sexuality to that of regality—slim and youthflul yet irrevocably entrenched in the history of Indian costume. Collection after collection, he summoned the finest of Indian art , mughal history and Kashmiri embroidery, worded with avant-garde European patterns |
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发表于 2011-12-4 14:41:38
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