When late designer Rohit Khosla came alive again (Lead)

By Shweta Thakur

New Delhi, Sep 13 "I love fabric. I love the human form in totality and I love mixing them together: Rohit Khosla" - famous words from a man who galvanised the Indian fashion movement but did not live to see it blossom.

Paying a tribute to Khosla - the fashion legend who died in 1994 when he was just 39 - was an idea that worked wonderfully well at the just concluded Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW).

"It was a befitting tribute to him. He was the founder of the industry. I am so glad that we could do it in our own little way," said Nair, executive director of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) that organises the WIFW.

"In this way we could also educate the budding designers and people unaware about his great contribution to the fashion industry of our country." Paying a tribute to the designer was Nair's brainchild.

Khosla's designs bore an unmistakable Indian sensibility. He believed that clothes were a complement to one's inner being. The harmonious exploration in his work offered the contemporary Indian woman - evolving out of her traditional mould - new options to express herself.

At a time when there was no awareness of fashion as a creative expression, he struggled to realise what he believed in.

"He was one of our extremely talented designers, who unfortunately died very young. He is considered to be the one who started the kind of styling and fashion that we see today," Rathi Vinay Jha, director general of FDCI, told IANS.

The fashion week, which took place from Sep 5-9, had two main showcase areas and outside each, 32-feet-tall walls were erected displaying pictures of Khosla, his works and quotes. Also, projectors showed people close to the style guru talking about him.

Fashion week's grand finale designer, Rohit Bal, dedicated his collection 'Syaahi' to the master creator. "My collection is a tribute to Rohit, who loved fabric and design," said Bal.

Commenting Khosla's creative brilliance, fashion designer Rina Dhaka said: "His work was a mix of modernity and a lot of grandeur. He used feathers, lycra and tights during his time.

"I am sure he would have created a stir globally if had showcased his collection now. This is a perfect time to display the kind of work he used to do," said Dhaka.

Leena of designer duo Ashima-Leena said, "He was a very practical person, subtle and simple. And all this reflected in his clothes, which were full of elegance and sophistication. His self-explanatory clothes had the strength to capture anyone's attention".