Floral Gift For Women

Flowers will always work for a woman; and that is what Rohit Bal used in abundance to create his couture range of accessories for Oriflame

Bags & Rohit Bal

Partnering with Oriflame, India’s most successful Swedish direct distribution cosmetic business, Rohit Bal launched the new Guldasta series of clutches and sling bags, all in pristine white backgrounds dressed with the exotic red coloured chrysanthemums.

Ask Bal why the particular flower and he was more than happy to explain that, ” Our values just match so beautifully, that I felt compelled to design and collaborate with them for the second time.” Oriflame is known to use natural ingredients to ensure they keep their promise of facilitating nature-inspired cosmetic range to the Indian customer.

Guldasta has been the running theme of the Indian Couture Week 2018 Finale. The best part is that the recent launch with Oriflame saw all his garments changed to the white background, with anarkalis dominating the scene.

For Rohit Bal, nothing is more inspiring that the flower. His roots from Kashmir is something that has also been the inspiration in most of his collection. His cuts and silhouettes worship the female figure, creating a sense of grandeur and royalty, which is rare to his breed of designers. His use of colour, texture, patterns and embroideries, all celebrate the beauty of Kashmir, flowers and their delicateness.

The collection this time, uses Chrysanthemum’s in a way “where my artistic freedom has taken over the real flower”, something which Bal described as “full of life, luscious and sensuous”. This is the beauty of his designs that showcase the beauty of a woman, without getting into too many plunging necklines and high side slits.

“Life is all about colours and nothing defines it better than colours of nature. For a designer today, it is a natural progression- to move from clothes to accessories and other mediums where art finds its expression. For me, bags are just an extension of my work.”

Rohit Bal, fashion designer

Designer Evolution

It is no surprise that many designers are now moving onto alternate mediums of expression. Tarun Tahiliani for example has branched out into architectural designs, lifestyle and such. Abraham & Thakore and also following suite, so is Manish Malhotra who has been growing his range of cosmetics, inspired from his love for colours, he has explored on Bollywood divas. He tied up with the European brand MyGlamm recently.

Indian designers have realized that the middle class woman is as fashion savvy and wanting to be fashionable as any other one who can afford their wears. They are socially networked, checking their Instagram, have opinions and express them on the social media. It is therefore becoming more and more important for the Indian designer to be more “accessible and approachable”.

Whether it is the direct distribution model which makes affording Rohit Bal’s design affordable, or the Manish Malhotra’s metallic magic in his lip colours, they are something to hone and talk about.