Mumbai: Well known fashion designer, gay rights activist and Padma Shri awardee Wendell Rodricks died on Wednesday evening following a prolonged illness.
Speaking to IANS on Wednesday Nilakanth Halarnkar, BJP MLA from the Thivim Assembly constituency and a longtime associate of the 60-year-old designer confirmed his death.
"Yes, it is true. He died at 5.45 p.m. today. He was ailing for a long time," Halarnkar said. Family sources said that the funeral is scheduled for Thursday.
Rodricks, one of the most popular fashion designers from Goa, was awarded a Padma Shri in 2014 and was also accorded the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts Et Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2015. As a designer he has been credited with reviving the Kunbi saree, worm by the indigenous Kunbi tribal women of Goa.
Rodricks was among the first Indians to come out openly as gay in the early 2000s.
Rodricks who was ailing for some time, had handed over his designing label to his protege Schulen Fernandes a few years ago and chose to focus more on his private projects including his museum and writing books.
He was in the process of setting up a museum 'Moda Goa Museum and Research Centre' which Rodricks had dedicated to clothes and fashion in Goa through the ages.
From IANS inputs.
