Indian Designer Suket Dhir Wins Menswear International Woolmark Prize

India came into the spotlight yet again with the announcement of Delhi based designer Suket Dhir winning the Menswear International Woolmark Prize 2015/16.

The event that happened at Pitti Uomo, the world's foremost menswear trade fair, was judged by world renowned fashion experts including designer Haider Ackerman, who says "For me, it wasn't a hard decision,". "Suket is a person with a dream to tell, and I thought that it was very beautiful, because fashion at this time is about a dream, and the rest – the business – will follow. And technically, he showed us details I've never seen before, and that's very impressive."

Stuart McCullough, Chief Executive Officer of The Woolmark Company, explained: "What Suket Dhir designs is romantic, and that's very appealing in fashion, and certainly was to the judging panel. 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."

Innovation is at the heart of Suket Dhir's collection for the International Woolmark Prize, which cleverly fuses classic western tailoring with elements of the designer's national dress, such as oversized proportions and lightweight fabrics. "My 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."

Following the announcement, the designer explained: "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. 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."