Here is another proud moment for the Indian Fashion industry, especially a great achievement for the menswear segment. Delhi based designer, Suket Dhir has won the 2015-2016 Menswear International Woolmark Prize at Pitti Uomo, an important international menswear event, in Florence on Wednesday, 13th January.
Mr. Dhir has won prize money of AU$100,000. In addition his capsule collection will be stocked in some of the world’s prestigious stores including Saks Fifth Avenue in New York,Harvey Nichols in London, David Jones in Australia ,10 Corso Como in Milan, Beijing and Shanghai, Boutique1 in the UAE, and online retailers such as Mytheresa.com and Matchesfashion.com.
The prestigious award was judged by the who’s who of the industry, including Suzy Menkes, international editor, Vogue;Haider Ackermann, designer; Imran Amed, founder and editor-in-chief, The Business of Fashion; Nick Sullivan, fashion director, Esquire; Masafumi Suzuki, editor-in-chief, GQ Japan; Linda Loppa, director of strategy and vision, Polimoda; Raffaello Napoleone, chief executive, Pitti Immagine and Stuart McCullough, managing director of The Woolmark Company.
In a statement Dhir said, "This is certainly very overwhelming, and everything that I needed right now. I've done what I could in India, and this is the best thing that could happen to me, for me to move in a bigger way.” He further added, "I think I'm ready for the world, and I also think the world is ready for me and for this kind of aesthetic. The look is easy and happy, and the world needs that right now.”
Fashion Designer Haider Ackermann said, “For me, it wasn’t a hard decision. Suketdhir fuses classic western tailoring with elements of Indian national dress, such as oversized proportions and lightweight fabrics.
“In fashion, I’m always looking for emotion, for the heartbeat, for the feeling that something excites me – it may come from an ancient skill but it seems fresh to me,” said Suzy Menkes of Suketdhir’s collection.
“What Suket Dhir designs is romantic, and that’s very appealing in fashion, and certainly was to the judging panel.” Stuart McCullough, Managing Director of The Woolmark Company, explained. “All of the designers will no doubt go on to great commercial success in all parts of the world, but we can only name one winner, and today romance won.”
Suket’s collection explores the trans-seasonal aspects of wool and the alchemic transformation of the fibrous wool into smooth, silk-like yarn, which renders the fabric light, airy, fluid and yet full and supple.
Using the traditional technique of hand-tied and dyed yarn (Ikat), the collection aims to “trace the mellowed and faded experiences of the past memories through the ombre pattern. Seamless molding and heat setting of the fabric reinforces the garments, while the age-old technique of Kasui, traditional hand embroidery, creates geometric, grid-like patterns in an update on the classic quilting stitch. The man is indeed a master of innovation.
Last year the award was won by New York based label Public School. More than 70 designers were considered for the prize over the past year, with the finalists representing six different regions around the world. These include Munsoo Kwon (Asia), P. Johnson (Australia), AGI & SAM (British Isles), Jonathan Christopher (Europe), Suketdhir (India, Pakistan and the Middle East) and Siki Im (USA).
Congratulations Suket Dhir! The world is definitely ready for you.
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