The Indian fashion industry has lost an iconic fashion designer today. Wendell Rodricks passed away at his home in Goa and we are extremely disheartened to hear this news. He was 59 years old. His family confirmed the news with The Indian Express.
Wendell was born in Goa and studied fashion designing in Los Angeles and Paris and made sure to celebrate his Goan heritage to the fullest with his work. In 2004, the Indian government honoured him with the Padma Shree award. He was known to have not only supported eco-friendly fashion but also revived the traditional Kunbi saree from Goa in 2010. In fact, he was also an environmentalist and an LGBTQIA+ activist too. He was also awarded the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Government in 2015. Rodricks was the pioneer of resort wear and one of the first few Indian designers to have launched the concept of minimalism in fashion.
Minister of Textile and Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani and Goa State Minister, Vishwajit Rane have expressed their condolences on Twitter.
We would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to Wendell’s family and may his soul rest in peace.