I am not a commercial designer, I am an artiste: Rohit Bal

Rohit Bal believes one of the reasons he has stayed relevant in the Indian fashion scene is by staying true to his tradition-rooted design philosophy rather than trying to match up to globle trends.

The designer said commercial gains were never his concern as he always saw himself as a "traditionalist".

"I don't design clothes thinking about trends. I don't refashion my clothes. I just follow my vision and the Indian tradition. I am a crafts person, a traditionalist.

"I don't really have to get tied to the shackles of commercial space. I never wanted to do that. I am an artiste and I believe people love what I create," Bal told PTI in an interview.

The designer, who is known for his elaborate and extravagant silhouettes, said he there is no point in following what others are doing.

"I always stuck to who I am and never did what everybody else was doing. I have a very strong and focused design philosophy and I adhere to that. I believe anything you do from your heart and soul will always stay relevant.

"I am comfortable in being classic, elegant and timeless and it has contributed a lot to my brand and career as a designer," he said.

From being an "insignificant" part of the showbiz, fashion has now become a full-fledged industry and Bal credits Bollywood for the popularity of designer labels in the country.

There was a time when only four-five designers were known in India but fashion has become a huge industry now, he said.

"People from every section of Indian society want to dress and know something about fashion or want to be fashionable. Everyone has some fashion icon. Bollywood is the biggest and the strongest influence. Through Bollywood, people have started knowing each and every designer," he said.

Bal presented his Kashmir-inspired collection "Guldastah" on the day one of the Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2019 in collaboration with the sustainable fashion label Usha Silai.

LFW , which is currently talking place at the JioGarden, Bandra-Kurla Complex, concludes on February 3.