In Fashion We Trust...

Rohit Bal’s latest collection for Blenders Pride Fashion Tour harkens back to the most serene of places— whether it’s on Earth or in our minds.

- Shahana Yasmin

It’s really about how I look at the world around me right now, and what I see is not very pleasant,” states Rohit Bal when asked about his inspiration for Gul-Dastah. For those unaware, Rohit Bal presented a collection at the 14th edition of the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour, an event he participated in for the first time. “A fashion tour is basically a mishmash of people, all together, doing so many shows in one day—I’ve always stayed away from it. But, this time when they came to me, they said they really want to up the ante of the Blenders Pride Fashion Show. They wanted to make it very up-market, exclusive, and luxurious. And, I thought, if that's what you want, then yes, I'll do it.” Picking a venue that’s a regular five-star hotel—that's never been a Rohit Bal aesthetic. “I saw this lovely old monument called Bandra Fort and I thought, ‘This is where I feel it should be.’ I then got in touch with scenographer Sumant (Jayakrishnan) and told him that I wanted the whole place to look like a sehra, and I wanted everything to be done in white flowers.” And thus, Gul-Dastah—a bouquet of flowers— came alive.