Wendell Rodricks with Bollywood actress Rekha at an event. File

Wendell Rodricks, a well known fashion designer, gay rights activist and Padma Shri awardee died on Wednesday evening following a prolonged illness.

Nilakanth Halarnkar, a Bharatiya Janata Party (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 5:45pm 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, worn by the indigenous Kunbi tribal women of Goa.

He 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.

Indo-Asian News Service