Suket Dhir, International Woolmark Prize winner, prepares for world stage

He shot onto the world stage after winning a glittering international
fashion prize previously given to design icons Yves Saint Laurent and Karl
Lagerfeld. Yet India’s Suket Dhir — hailed by Vogue as a potential “global
fashion superstar in the making” — is uneasy about the sudden attention
that has come with winning the International Woolmark Prize for menswear
this year.

“I never thought of myself as a top designer, more of a glorified tailor,”
Dhir told AFP at his small, busy design studio in the backblocks of New
Delhi. Dhir is now in a race against time to deliver his award-winning
collection to prominent department stores in New York, Paris, Tokyo, Seoul
and Sydney from next month — as well as around 75,000 US dollars in prize
money to build up his business, he also gets to provide a capsule
collection for key retailers worldwide.

A photo posted by SUKETDHIR (@suketdhir) on Jul 15, 2016 at 5:20pm
PDT

The 37-year-old faces challenges unique to India in preparing the
collection of contemporary Western menswear with an Indian twist. Dhir uses
traditional weavers located close to the villages that they come from,
along with dyers and block printers from all over the vast country to
make his clothes. But the artisans are not used to working with the wool
that is required for
the collection and which can change shape in India’s blistering heat and
humid
monsoons.

“This was my first experience weaving with such difficult fabric on such a
tight deadline. These designs were one-off pieces and (now) I’m reproducing
this collection for five or six stores,” he said. “We’ve successfully
managed to do that (although) we are a little behind schedule.” The judges
of the prize, awarded in January, noted Dhir’s attention to detail in his
collection of tailored jackets, shirts and loose pants which were inspired
by his childhood spent with his grandfather in Punjab state.

The linings of his jackets are block-printed with small motifs such as
umbrellas, and the buttons on his shirts are sewn on with different types
of thread. Dhir said his clothes, some of which are mixed with silk and use
the traditional ikat technique — hand-tied and dyed yarn — to pattern
textiles, are meant to be worn every day.

‘Don’t do bling’

“When I think of my grandfather, I think of these beautiful jackets and
blazers that you could pass on from one generation to the next,” the
father-of-one said. “I can’t do anything blingy,” he added. Indian menswear
often involves garish outfits such as heavily embroidered jackets and
bright silk kurtas or long shirts. Leading fashion journalist and author
Shefalee Vasudev hailed Dhir as one
of an increasing number of Indian designers making subtle, contemporary
clothes.

“His fashion is meaningful. It’s not screaming for attention. It’s not
saying ‘look at me, I’m so great’ and that’s refreshing in Indian fashion,”
said Vasudev. She said the coming months would be critical for Dhir — and
will determine whether he can become one of only a small number of Indians
sought after in international stores. “More than a handful are stocked but
only a handful have been noticed and get consistent business,” she said of
Indian designers.

A photo posted by SUKETDHIR (@suketdhir) on May 20, 2016 at 11:49pm
PDT

“It’s a very significant prize because the door has been knocked down for
you. (But) You need to be able to manage your quality, your numbers, your
deliveries,” Vasudev added. She pointed to the international success of
Indian designer Rahul Mishra, who won the same prize for womenswear in
2014, as an example of what was possible. On the road to becoming a
recognised designer, Dhir worked in a call centre and sold mobile phones
and also spent several unsuccessful years in college, infuriating his
family.

“I was clueless about what to do with my life,” he said. He then enrolled
at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Delhi before starting
his own label in 2010. Dhir said the first few years were rocky
financially, largely because he refused to design outfits to cater for
India’s lavish annual wedding season, which many designers rely upon for
income. “I don’t do wedding gear and that’s where the money is. But this
acknowledgement, this recognition (of winning the award) has happened
because I have stuck to my aesthetic,” said Dhir, the first Indian to win
the award
for menswear.

“We are breaking even at the moment which is really good. I wish I had a
swankier office and a swankier car but we’ll get there.” (AFP)

Photos: Suket Dhir, Facebook