Rohit Bal speaks on Luxurylaunches


Time magazine has christened Rohit Bal as the ‘Master of Fabrics and Fantasy.’ The celebrated fashion designer of shows staged from London to Paris to New York; and collaborated with Louboutin Shoes and Conran Stores. Bal’s client tele includes Uma Thurman, Cindy Crawford, Pamela Anderson, Naomi Campbell, and Anna Kournikova. A veteran of the Indian fashion industry, Bal has been associated with numerous projects, one of the most recent ones being designing a one of its kind bed for Savior beds, which, when ready, will be auctioned to raise funds and awareness for Rohit’s chosen charities. As Mr. Bal tells us, opening restaurants and designing a luxury hotel in Goa is just the beginning.


What propelled you to make a jump from couture to a collaboration with Savoir Beds?
”Sensual, luxurious, seductive, and beautiful. These are the words that come to mind when I think of a Savoir Bed. Six international designers will be designing beds, and I am the only Indian designer. It is a very prestigious platform, and I love designing interiors; designing a bed is something that I never thought of, but it’s an incredible opportunity, and I am very happy to be associated with it.
How different will this collection be from the current line of Savoir beds?
They will be exhibiting these beds in London Fashion week and then in New York, Paris and Milan. The bed I am designing will be made purely based on ethics and creativity, and at the end of the day, the bed will be auctioned for charity.
Do you plan to continue your association with Savior beds in the years to come?
I sleep on a Savior bed at home, so I understand why people want to buy it. It is fantastic, and I would love to carry my association with Savior beds.
From models sporting sindoor, models strutting in water, to converting a roof into a ramp more recently, you are famed for your histrionics. What inspires these ideas?
Any of these ideas happen to be one or two hours before the show. The girl going into the water at the end of the show and men wearing sindoor. It is all very spontaneous. I am not a planner; I work on instincts.
Can you tell us more about your upcoming Luxury hotel project in Goa?
Rohit remained tight-lipped on divulging any details but said that the hotel would be complete in 2014 and be something done in Goa, by Goa but for a global traveler. Old buildings in Goa have a distinct Portuguese architecture. I will be making use of that but with a modern twist. It will be focused on ultra-luxury, and Rohit Bal will design everything from the facade to a lamp in the room.
One item in your closet that defines luxury?
My watch collection (Rohit modestly says that it is not a great collection) and, in particular, Breitling watches, which are my favorite.
A fashion trend that you wish would make a comeback?
The glamour of the 1920s, the glamour from the early nineteenth century, needs to come back. Glamour should rule.
You have styled the A-listers of Hollywood and Bollywood, is there any celebrity you would love to style?
I would love to style Sarah Jessica Parker. She is incredibly classy, and among the men, it would be Josh Harnett and Chris Hemsworth. I want to do something for Sonam Kapoor, and among the men, it has been and will always be Arjun Rampal. But if we could work on the possibilities, the person I would love to dress would be Audrey Hepburn and Alexander the Great.
What would be your ultimate fashion destination?
Any flea market with vintage clothing, irrespective of the city, is the penultimate fashion destination for me.
After designing clothes, cars. beds, shoes, jewelry, and hotels, where do we see Rohit Bal heading from here?
I have tied up with a European company, and we would be launching a whole collection of carpets that I have just designed, which will be launching by the end of October. I have just finished working on the new packaging for Chivas, which will be launched in the next two weeks.
We have seen Versace design helicopters, Gucci design cars, etc. Do you see an opportunity in such collaborations and launches?
My creativity would be limited in designing something technical like aircraft interiors. But if given a chance, I would love to design a yacht, a huge one with an unlimited budget.
We wish Rohit Bal all the best and hope to see more of his creations and collaborations in the year to come.

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