Veteran designer Wendell Rodricks passes away in his home in Goa

Yesterday, as Lakmé Fashion Week summer/resort 2020 was underway, news from Goa reached the venue, Jio Garden in Mumbai, that veteran designer Wendell Rodricks died in his home upon suffering a fatal heart attack. There are few designers in the fashion fraternity who are remembered for more than their contribution to the runways. Wendell Rodricks was one such name, fondly regarded as a mentor, an ardent LGBTQ+ rights activist, and the founding trustee of the Moda Goa Museum & Research Centre. Rodricks was known as India’s first resort wear designer with a keen interest in reinventing Indian drapes, especially the Goan Kunbi. “For me he will always be the designer who ushered in less-is-more. He truly was the pioneer of resort wear in this country, and often spoke about how travel shaped his vision. It’s truly a sad day for fashion to have lost someone so talented,” said Priya Tanna, editor-in-chief, Vogue India.

Malaika Arora, who played muse to the designer, shared a heartfelt post about him in her early years as a model on Instagram. Anushka Sharma, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Arjun Rampal and Diana Penty also took to the social media platform to share emotional tributes to Rodricks. Scroll ahead to take a look.