Suket Dhir: Poised to become a global name in the industry

As Indian designer Suket Dhir takes part in international fashion show WHITE in Milan this week, a look at why the designer - who believes that "less is more" - is poised to become a global name in the industry

Anyone who knows their fashion will have heard of the International Woolmark Prize (IWP) - it is the award to win if you're a young designer hoping to make your mark on the international map of fashion. The prize itself was launched in 1953 to promote what's termed as "Cool Wool" in the industry, and the list of past winners includes legendary names like Karl Lagerfeld and the late Yves Saint Laurent. The 2014/2015 winners were New York label Public School, who were appointed creative directors of DKNY, shortly after winning.
The winner for men's wear for 2015/2016 was Suket Dhir, who was representing the region - including the Middle East, Pakistan and India. And it was really in Dubai, six months before his IWP win, that the designer first gained the industry's attention. At the IWP regional rounds held in this city, many hoped that Suket would win, but most felt his low profile made him an outsider. Of course, just three years ago, Rahul Mishra had won IWP - but he was a regular on the fashion circuit, taking part in industry events. Suket, on the other hand, had never shown at any India fashion platforms. But win he did - and he went on to take the ultimate prize.
Twenty-three countries put forward submissions for one of fashion's most coveted awards. Along with a substantial cash prize, winners receive mentorships from leading global design names, as well as retail opportunities from international fashion stores like London's Harvey Nichols, New York's Saks Fifth Avenue and Dubai's Boutique 1. Now, Suket is participating in one of fashion's most important international platforms - WHITE, the Milan-based tradeshow that will be held from January 14-16.
When it comes to fashion weeks, Milan Fashion Week has increasingly become the week that sets the agenda. Italian fashion has always understood the balance between pushing the envelope and keeping it elegant. Home to fashion houses such as Gucci, Giorgio Armani and Roberto Cavalli, there is more to Milan than the runway shows from some of the industry's most respected labels. In fashion, there is nothing more exciting than discovering a new label - and the place to do that in Milan is WHITE. It's the fashion trade show that independent designers such as Stella Jean and Uma Wang participate in. It's where many buyers and fashion editors first spotted their work. In the 16 years since WHITE started, it has become Europe's one-stop shop for contemporary cool urban fashion. More than 50 Italian and international labels show at WHITE. And this year, the trade show's press release says that the jewel in their crown is Suket Dhir.
The designer had received accolades from The New York Times and Vogue, and his decision to show at WHITE and not a fashion week speaks about the designers take on fashion. (After winning the IWP, Rahul Mishra has become a regular at Paris Fashion Week.) Says Suket, "It all happened quite suddenly and within the past year. We are still doing the same work but it is now being looked at from a more international level. With all this exposure, I can only hope that my work is improving."
The Delhi-based designer, who says he is his own muse, is known for his quirky silhouettes, love of natural fabrics and putting comfort over everything else. His distinct style comes from his love of details, be it a jaali stitch on the side seam of the shirt or block-printed linings in jackets. The label is five years old and he never started his career thinking he would have his own fashion company. A graduate of Delhi's National Institute of Fashion and Design, Suket says, "My first job was in the corporate sector. I was a designer with Wrangler in Bengaluru. When I quit, I started my own label, working with what I knew and who I was familiar with. At that point, I had no contacts or any interactions in that market."
Asked to explain his love for the colour indigo - a recurring theme in all his collections - he says, "I have been working a lot with it, primarily because it is a man's colour and very important to us. I also love using the colour because it is such a difficult dye, which constantly pushes us to achieve the quality standards that the world expects of us." Indigo, as a colour, makes a statement but is still subtle and soothing - and that is what Suket's clothes are all about. "Less is more; that is my aesthetic. Looking at the clothing sector, I do not design women's bridal, I do not do women's wear, I do not design men's wedding wear, nor do I do men's formal wear. The running joke between my father and I is that I've made a business out of shooting myself in the foot, because I have gone out of my way to avoid all the most profitable sectors in the Indian fashion market. He was quite convinced that I was trying every trick in the book to not make money."
His reason for choosing WHITE over an international fashion week, however, is more about commerce than art. "At the moment, I would much rather see myself working on the products, figuring out my local and international clientele, meeting people and working towards increasing the brand's exposure. This is a side of the fashion world that I am good at and I want to show the world who we are and what we are about. WHITE is a very reputable trade show. I can certainly say that it has the right kind of buyers and clients for our brand... It goes back to my instincts. WHITE has our kind of energy and it just felt right."
Suket will be showing his first Autumn/Winter collection at the show and it is not surprising that wool is his fabric of choice. It has all the details you now expect from this designer from the finishing to the use of colour on the inside  - and, of course, a reference to Indian tailoring. The excitement there is around this collection reaffirms that Suket is on his way to becoming an international label.
sujata@khaleejtimes.com

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