Delhi designer borrows from stylish granddad to win global prize

If you looked at the garments and the cascading blues, you'd see the memory of summers spent in mango orchards with his grandfather in long jacket and loose palazzos. On the inner lining of the clothes are motifs of parrots and mango trees, and umbrellas and things that make up childhood, and in the blues, Suket Dhir -the Delhi-based designer who won the coveted International Woolmark Prize for his menswear collection on Wednesday in Florence -has depicted the changing skies of his past.
“My grandfather's style was eternal and I just took those silhouettes and tweaked them,“ says the designer. “My collections represent men as they are: serious on the outside, playful inside.“
The only other Indian who has won the International Woolmark Prize is Ra hul Mishra for his womenswear collection.And now, Dhir, a NIFT graduate who grew up in Punjab, Delhi, and Dehradun, is set for his moment in the global fashion spotlight.
Dhir omitted no one in his thank-you note, least of all the weavers in West Bengal and Telangana who wove with wool only because they shared his conviction.
The 36-year-old was awarded a cheque for $100,000 Australian (Rs 46.70 lakh), as well as retail space in several globally prominent department stores. A fitting validation to his muse -his grandfather Des Raj Dhir, who wore bespoke garments and was a fabric merchant in Punjab where Dhir spent the formative years of his life.
The collection -of large and loose pants --was also a “rebellion against the skinnies“.It was also a rebellion against other things -pessimism for one. -pessimism for one.
“Suket would always say, why must we be grim?“ says his friend Gaurav Jai Gupta of Akaaro. Dhir's eternal optimism even got the better of that classic Delhi scourge: parking.
“He always managed to find a spot,“ smiles Gupta.
Dhir, who works out of a studio near Lado Sarai, is a man who believes in hidden surprises. Like a bit of embroi dery on the inside of pockets. Heralding him as the new order, de signer Haider Acker man and Vogue's Suzy Menkes on the judging panel said the collection was happy and emotional, with a lot of romance.
Dhir has always applied a minimalist aesthetic to cottons, linen, bamboo, fine mulmul and silk blends, and topped it with fine detailing. Mixing history and folklore in his designs, Dhir isn't shy of using bright hues for a casual and chic look. For instance, he would pair a block-print mulmul shirt with parrot motifs, with a toned-down cherrycoloured Nehru jacket and purple linen pants for a casual look. Or bedeck a mul sari with umbrella motifs. His adaption of his cultural heritage has resulted in a universal look, which the recent accolade validates.
“By going back, we can go forward,“ he confirms.