He shot onto the world stage after winning a glittering international fashion prize previously given to design icons Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld.
Yet India's Suket Dhir -- hailed by Vogue as a potential "global fashion superstar in the making" -- is uneasy about the sudden attention that has come with winning the International Woolmark Prize for menswear this year.
"I never thought of myself as a top designer, more of a glorified tailor," Dhir told AFP at his small, busy design studio in the backblocks of New Delhi.
Dhir is now in a race against time to deliver his award-winning collection to prominent department stores in New York, Paris, Tokyo, Seoul and Sydney from next month -- as well as around US$75,000 in prizemoney to build up his business, he also gets to provide a capsule collection for key retailers worldwide.
The 37-year-old faces challenges unique to India in preparing the collection of contemporary Western menswear with an Indian twist.
Dhir uses traditional weavers located close to the villages that they come from, along with dyers and block printers from all over the vast country to make his clothes.
But the artisans are not used to working with the wool that is required for the collection and which can change shape in India's blistering heat and humid monsoons.
"This was my first experience weaving with such difficult fabric on such a tight deadline. These designs were one-off pieces and (now) I'm reproducing this collection for five or six stores," he said.
"We've successfully managed to do that (although) we are a little behind schedule."
The judges of the prize, awarded in January, noted Dhir's attention to detail in his collection of tailored jackets, shirts and loose pants which were inspired by his childhood spent with his grandfather in Punjab state.
The linings of his jackets are block-printed with small motifs such as umbrellas, and the buttons on his shirts are sewn on with different types of thread.
Dhir said his clothes, some of which are mixed with silk and use the traditional ikat technique -- hand-tied and dyed yarn -- to pattern textiles, are meant to be worn every day.
'Don't do bling'
"When I think of my grandfather, I think of these beautiful jackets and blazers that you could pass on from one generation to the next," the father-of-one said.
"I can't do anything blingy," he added.
Indian menswear often involves garish outfits such as heavily embroidered jackets and bright silk kurtas or long shirts.
Leading fashion journalist and author Shefalee Vasudev hailed Dhir as one of an increasing number of Indian designers making subtle, contemporary clothes.
"His fashion is meaningful. It's not screaming for attention. It's not saying 'look at me, I'm so great' and that's refreshing in Indian fashion," said Vasudev.
She said the coming months would be critical for Dhir -- and will determine whether he can become one of only a small number of Indians sought after in international stores.
"More than a handful are stocked but only a handful have been noticed and get consistent business," she said of Indian designers.
"It's a very significant prize because the door has been knocked down for you. (But) You need to be able to manage your quality, your numbers, your deliveries," Vasudev added.
She pointed to the international success of Indian designer Rahul Mishra, who won the same prize for womenswear in 2014, as an example of what was possible.
On the road to becoming a recognised designer, Dhir worked in a call centre and sold mobile phones and also spent several unsuccessful years in college, infuriating his family.
"I was clueless about what to do with my life," he said.
He then enrolled at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Delhi before starting his own label in 2010.
Dhir said the first few years were rocky financially, largely because he refused to design outfits to cater for India's lavish annual wedding season, which many designers rely upon for income.
"I don't do wedding gear and that's where the money is. But this acknowledgement, this recognition (of winning the award) has happened because I have stuck to my aesthetic," said Dhir, the first Indian to win the award for menswear.
"We are breaking even at the moment which is really good. I wish I had a swankier office and a swankier car but we'll get there."
AFP RELAXNEWS
Sun Sep 25 2016
Indian fashion designer Suket Dhir. - AFP Photo
PDRM gerak unit skuba forensik, K9 cari telefon, rantai Nur Farah Kartini hari ini
Proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Bangkai pesawat MH17 tanpa sayap imbau kekejaman tragedi menyayat hati
Keadaan serpihan pesawat MH17 Malaysia Airlines (MAS) yang cuba dibina semula tanpa sayap, tayar, ekor dan tempat duduk penumpang cukup menggerunkan sekali gus mengingatkan pada kekejaman yang meragut
VOP akan diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan - Ahmad
Pelaksanaan Syarat Perubahan Harga (VOP) susulan penyasaran subsidi diesel dijangka diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan lagi, kata Timbalan Menteri Kerja Raya Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
Industri minyak sawit disaran guna semula sisa untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan - Liew
Industri minyak sawit perlu mengkaji penggunaan semula sisa sebagai stok suapan penting untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan (SAF), di luar penggunaan tradisional minyak sawit.
SDG: UTP lahir pelajar berkemahiran, tinggi tanggungjawab sosial
UTP berhasrat mendidik pelajar bukan sahaja untuk mahir dalam aspek teknikal tetapi juga untuk menjadi warganegara yang bertanggungjawab.
MAA semak semula unjuran jualan kenderaan 2024 kepada 765,000 unit
Persatuan Automotif Malaysia (MAA) telah menyemak semula unjuran jualan kenderaan bermotor baharu bagi 2024 kepada 765,000 unit daripada anggaran sebelumnya sebanyak 740,000 unit.
RUU 355: Pindaan perlu untuk praktikaliti, keadilan
Apa sahaja pindaan terhadap akta itu perlu berjalan selari dengan persediaan mereka yang bertanggungjawab melaksanakannya.
Rasionalisasi RON95 dijangka beri impak lebih besar kepada PKS - SAMENTA
SAMENTA menjangkakan rasionalisasi RON95 akan memberi impak yang lebih besar kepada perusahaan kecil dan sederhana (PKS) berbanding pelarasan subsidi diesel.
Malaysia sasar pengeluaran 40 peratus sektor akuakultur menjelang 2030
Malaysia menyasarkan pengeluaran 40 peratus hasil sektor akuakultur menjelang 2030 dalam usaha membantu mengimbangi keperluan perikanan negara.
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.