Well known fashion designer, gay rights activist and Padma Shri awardee Wendell Rodricks died on Wednesday evening at his home in Goa 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.
Anushka Sharma paid a tribute to designer by sharing a throwback photo with him along with a caption that read, "Woke up in NZ to the sad news of Wendell Rodricks having passed away in his sleep. He was one of the most iconic & original designers in fashion & A champion for LGBT rights .
He had given me an opportunity to close his fashion week show in Mumbai after spotting me in Bangalore at a fashion show and was gracious, kind & encouraging. He was one of the reasons I had the courage to move to Mumbai from Bangalore to pursue modelling when I was just 18 years old."
Malaika Arora also shared a griefing post with a caption that read, "A master couturier and his muse .... RIP our dearest @wendellrodricks .... I first sat n cried , n then I sat alone n smiled n laughed , jus thinkin of all the beautiful beautiful memories n moments we shared."
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mapusa, Gajanan Prabhudesai confirmed the death of Rodricks. "The cause of his death is being ascertained and a police team has rushed to his residence for investigation," he said. Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane tweeted, "Deeply saddened to hear about the sudden demise of my very good friend and designer, Wendell Rodricks. His excellency in his work and skills are irreplaceable and shall always be cherished. We will truly miss him. My heartfelt condolences to his family and dear ones."
Family sources said that the funeral is scheduled for Thursday. The designer was born into a Goan family and was in the process of setting up a museum 'Moda Goa Museum and Research Centre' which he had dedicated to clothes and fashion in Goa through the ages.
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.
Last month, Rodricks was in the headlines for his sarcastic comments over Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra's Grammy 2020 outfit. The actress wore a navel-baring dress by designer duo Ralph and Russo and received mixed responses on the internet.
As soon as the news of his death surfaced the internet, condolences started pouring in. Celebrities like Sona Mohapatra, Shruti Seth and others expressed their shock on his death and tweets their heartfelt tributes. Check out-
TV and Bollywood actress Shruti Seth wrote, "What!!!! OMG!!!! This is just shocking and so so sad RIP @Wendellrodricks"
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