THE MYSTICAL SUKET DHIR AND HIS FABLED JACKETS

A rare mystique surrounds his persona. An image of one who has perchance strayed into a world of flimsy. A world which he, with his intense gaze and near mystical style, is pledged to change forever. Creating a zone, a sweet spot, a realm that no one even knew existed.

Suket Dhir, the ‘pind da baccha’ from ‘Nava Shehr, Phagwara’ is someone I spotted with great intrigue in fashion crowds, standing out without even trying. His long, grey beard, sharp beret and stylish gilets make him seem like a farmer right out of Annie Leibovitz’s photo series where she captured men of soil dressed in tuxedos in her powerful frames.

Just like those men, Suket stands like a real-life dichotomy, a juxtaposition of fashion meeting a rooted soul. Except this soul is a cordon bleu fashion icon, uncompromisingly so. A topper, rank 10 at NIFT, a Woolmark Awardee and someone who gave a new meaning to androgynous design, he is the creator of what he calls “menswear for women”. He opines, “We Indians are a cusp between Aryan wisdom and colonial angst. For centuries we have been trying to find that realm where the twain can meet!” – like it did for him in his fabled jackets crafted out of the finest hand-woven looms into sharp and stylish silhouettes.

His is a story that marks the career trajectory of many a genius. The story of a drifter, late-starter and a lost soul who forayed into fashion because, as he says, “My friends convinced me that I sketch well and that I love watching FTV!”, once again covering his accolades with a mystical, understated veil. Once there, he found his groove, creating ripples before a discerning faculty that knew his will be a brand to reckon with.

Always encouraged by an understanding father who “let him be”, Dhir then decided to prepare a portfolio fit to catapult him to Central St Martins, only to find himself hopelessly in love with Svetlana, a half-Russian half-Telugu beauty. He stayed back, married but jobless, till he gave a new birth to the white shirt and the kurta silhouette and a jacket that he called his take on the ‘bullet jacket’. It caught the attention of design connoisseur Anita Lal and got him a store within Good Earth. The rest, as they say, is history.

Dhir also won the Woolmark International Award for his exploration of the trans-seasonal quality of Merino wool that won over the judging panel, which included industry bigwigs like Haider Ackermann (designer), Imran Amed (founder and editor-in-chief, The Business of Fashion) and Suzy Menkes (noted fashion critic), among others. “For me, Suket is a person with a dream to tell. The rest [the business] will follow,” Ackermann was quoted saying. Though caught in Rome post that, Suket was heard saying that he was “rethinking his life and career in a bout of introspection.”

An established couture maven today, Suket’s signature jacket for women that goes beyond androgynous is what stares at your heart, getting stuck in your subliminal mind, the heart full of admiration. “It is a men’s jacket for women,” he informs. At times it is cut and crafted from Kin Khwab, and at times, made with the richest of silk in jewel tones, each inch of the textile covered with tonal embroidery, understated beads and baubles. This is the soft spot Suket has crafted, leaving his signature stamp on it for others to follow.