Indian fashion designer Rohit Bal has died aged 63. In November last year, Bal was put on life support at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram because of a pre-existing cardiac condition.
"We mourn the passing of legendary designer Rohit Bal," the Fashion Design Council of India said in a statement on Instagram.
"Known for his unique blend of traditional patterns with modern sensibilities, Bal's work redefined Indian fashion and inspired generations."
According to his website, Bal graduated from St Stephen's College in New Delhi with a degree in history. He then worked in his family's export business for a few years before launching his label and designer line in 1990.
In his work, Bal drew from "wide and varied" influences, according to a promotional statement on his site. It adds: "From the village crafts and traditional methods of design that India is so rich in, to the transient phenomenon of the subcontinent's urban landscape, the designer brings them all to life."
He was known for frequently dressing high-profile stars, both Indian and international, including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ranveer Singh, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Ivanka Trump, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Uma Thurman.
The council's chairman Sunil Sethi said on Instagram that the passing of Pal, popularly called Gudda, "will leave a void in the fashion design space for ever".
"Everyone admired him for his attention to detail, how beautifully his lotus bloomed on modern shapes and his understanding of what modern women desired," Sethi added.
Additional reporting from AFP
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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