Famed Indian Designer Rohit Bal Dies

Indian designer Rohit Bal (center) gestures at his fashion show in Mumbai in 2019. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP
Indian designer Rohit Bal (center) gestures at his fashion show in Mumbai in 2019. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP
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Famed Indian Designer Rohit Bal Dies

Indian designer Rohit Bal (center) gestures at his fashion show in Mumbai in 2019. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP
Indian designer Rohit Bal (center) gestures at his fashion show in Mumbai in 2019. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP

Rohit Bal, one of India's most acclaimed fashion designers, has died, his colleagues said Friday.
Media reports said he died at the age of 63 after a long illness.
"We mourn the passing of legendary designer Rohit Bal," the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) 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.
"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."
FDCI chairman Sunil Sethi said on Instagram that the passing of Pal, popularly called Gudda, "will leave a void in the fashion design space forever."
"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 said.



China Reportedly Advises Shein Against Shifting Supply Chain

FILE PHOTO: A shopper poses with bags of promotional merchandise as she visits fashion retailer Shein's Christmas bus tour, in Manchester, Britain, December 13, 2024. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A shopper poses with bags of promotional merchandise as she visits fashion retailer Shein's Christmas bus tour, in Manchester, Britain, December 13, 2024. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja/File Photo
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China Reportedly Advises Shein Against Shifting Supply Chain

FILE PHOTO: A shopper poses with bags of promotional merchandise as she visits fashion retailer Shein's Christmas bus tour, in Manchester, Britain, December 13, 2024. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A shopper poses with bags of promotional merchandise as she visits fashion retailer Shein's Christmas bus tour, in Manchester, Britain, December 13, 2024. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja/File Photo

Fast-fashion retailer Shein is facing opposition from the Chinese government over its plans to shift some production out of the country, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
China's Ministry of Commerce has reached out to Shein and other companies, advising them against diversifying supply chains by sourcing from other countries, one person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News.
Bloomberg News said it wasn't immediately clear which other firms were contacted by the commerce ministry.
The requests came in the run-up to US President Donald Trump's announcement on reciprocal tariffs that have sent firms scrambling for alternative ways to avoid additional import levies, the person told Bloomberg News.
Shein did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report.
Trump's harsher-than-expected tariffs have roiled markets globally, wiping trillions of dollars in value across assets, and elicited strong rebuke from China and additional tariffs of 34% on all US goods.