About Wendell Rodricks
Listed among the top ten fashion designers of India, Wendell Rodricks is a recent recipient of the Padma Shri award in 2014. He is a well known fashion designer from Goa. His outstanding works include styling for a large number of international campaigns and lecturing on the costume history of the world to the world of fashion journalism. He is open about his homosexuality.
Wendell Rodricks with one of his models in the quintessential beachy gown with a slit at the centre and bright, fluorescent colours. Many of his creations have this look and feel to them, perhaps owing to his Goan influence!
The gorgeous Carol Maria Gracias in one of Wendell’s creations that’s flowy, summery because of its vibrant colour and perfect for a date by the sea.
His early career
Born in Colvale, a remote village of North Goa, Wendell Rodricks started off his career with a graduate degree in catering. However, he moved to fashion designing and gained reputation as a prominent designer since 1993. He is popular for providing creative and fresh collections in every new fashion season. This is quite a noteworthy feat for someone who lived in a small village to be counted among top fashion designers and influence the entire fashion industry of the country. He has also serves as an inspiration to the younger generation of the fashion designers.
Made to lounge by the pool, this short summer dress has the right amount of playfulness and oomph!
After three years of research on the history of costumes of Goa, he did his internship from Lisbon at National Museum of Costume and Fashion, and from New York at Museum and Fashion Institute of Technology.
Wendell Rodricks Collections
His signature collections include a blend art and ancient Indian style with a relaxed Goan touch. With the help of natural Indian fabric, his works mainly emphasize the experimental color combinations, concrete themes, exotic fibre weaves, hand-painted detailing etc. He has had show-stoppers that truly live up to the definition. Deepika Padukone has been an all-time favorite show stopper, among several others.
The gold pants teamed with a white linen kurta seems to be the perfect look for a semi-formal occasion and can give any man that cool, carefree look!
It’s not common to see Wendell Rodricks design a saree, although he has de-constructed that image here and designed this elegant, basic chiffon saree with lines and geometric patterns for the new-age woman!
What Wendell Rodricks has to say about Indian wear:
Wendell Rodricks has argued that the Indian outfits are a result of the influence from different parts of the world. As stated by him, the Indian sari can be said to have been an influence of the Athenian dress. According to him, the ‘kurta’ is a pure creation by the Mughals, the jubba-coat and pyjamas were introduced to India two thousand years back by the West Chinese Kushans during the rule of Emperor Kanishka. He also mentioned that the breeches-pyjama and long cloaks were introduced by the Huns from Central Asia and the skirts and robes by the Arabs of the eighth and ninth centuries.
A simple linen white dress with a gorgeous organza white coat for that ethereal look!
Casual Cool gold palazzo pants worn with a black tank top and a coral orange sleeveless jacket screams Wendell Rodricks!
Read Wendell Rodricks
Wendell Rodricks has also penned two books- “Moda Goa- History and style” which was launched by the actress and Bollywod diva, Rekha in the year 2012 and “The Green Room”. He has also been a part of two other books –“Inside/Out” and “Indian Fashion Designers” along with other prominent designers of the industry such as Manish Arora, Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi Mukherjee to name a few.
Rekha in one of her many off white sarees, famously teamed with a gold blouse at the launch of Wendell Rodricks’ book “Moda Goa”
He also made an appearance in a television play named “True West” in the year 2002 and has acted in the infamous and hugely controversial film, Boom in the year 2003. He also did a cameo role as himself in the movie “Fashion”.
Apart from his outfits, his recent works include the packaging and product design of the four newly introduced flavors of POLO –the mint with a hole, for Nestle India Ltd.
Winning the prestigious Padma Shri award has been instrumental and helpful in the fight to legitimize homosexuality in India, he feels.
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