Bombay (AFP)
Indian fashion designer Satya Paul, whose label named after him modernized the traditional saree with contemporary prints, has passed away at the age of 78, his family has announced.
Passionate about spirituality from a young age, Satya Paul died Thursday at an ashram in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, where he had been recovering from a stroke last month, his son Puneet Nanda said. .
"Those who knew him at some point in their life will remember him as the one who dispensed his love without hesitation or limit," his son wrote on Facebook, "it is the best tribute to pay him while he went away cheerfully, without fear ".
Born on February 2, 1942, he made a name for himself in the retail industry with the launch in 1980 of "L'Affaire", India's first sari store, before creating his own brand five years later.
His avant-garde creations merged Indian weaving techniques with contemporary palettes and revolutionized the sari, giving birth to pieces with polka dots, stripes or even adorned with abstract patterns.
The designer didn't limit himself to sarees, however, he also designed accessories such as scarves and ties.
He has built a network of shops in eight Indian cities and today enjoys a thriving online business.
Satya Paul was admired for his business acumen.
The entrepreneur in biopharmacy Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw hailed the memory of "an iconic designer, pioneer in the world of fashion".
The stylist stood out among Indian fashion houses with his rigor and entrepreneurial boldness, having hired famous stylists such as Masaba Gupta and Rajesh Pratap Singh as creative directors of his brand.
Masaba Gupta, chairing the farewell to the creator, also paid tribute to the brand which, she said, will "stand the test of time".
She called on fashion schools to "introduce the brand to young aspiring Indian stylists (...) We can be inspired by the history of Chanel etc. but first we have to learn what happened. on our soil, ”she added.
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