At the Nicobar office you’ll hear it said often: collaboration is at the heart of what we do. We work with people who inspire us, and who colour our work with a vibrancy that we could never claim otherwise, and this one is a dream made real.

Just in time for all the end of the year festivities, meet Nicobar x Suket, a menswear collection that’s born from our partnership with Suket Dhir, a designer with whom you are no doubt already familiar, and whose work we’ve followed for far too long. Winner of the Woolmark Prize in 2016, the Delhi-based designer has this in common with Nicobar: a love for all things natural and on things that are responsibly-sourced, as well as an insistence on the little things: on form, fit, fabric, and all those other little bits that, really, aren’t so little at all. What do we know about Suket? He sees himself as an outsider in the fashion industry, with just one or two friends on the inside that have helped along the way. Good Earth, as it happens, were his first buyers, the very first store to stock his collection, and it was only a short hop over to us. He’d be lost without his bowler hats (they’ve become his signature), and the first one he ever laid hands on was ferried to him from the States by actor and friend Kunal Nayyar. He works alongside a close-knit group of family and people he now calls friends. His wife Svetlana, a psychology major turned political canonist, helms all operations at Suket Dhir. That Woolmark Prize? He won it for his menswear that used a summer-friendly Merino wool blend. Our country has a fair share of wool at its disposal, but not many designers dip into it outside of sweater weather. Not Dhir, but that’s why he’s an original.





His design hallmark is a compendium of basics. Reversible menswear ikat blousons that sit comfortably on women (trust us, we’ve tried it all), prints that borrow from the cosmos, and lots of that everyday luxury. Above all, Suket designs clothes that he would wear himself - weather-appropriate and easy to wear - and weaves longevity into his design theory. Spring cleaning isn't an annual affair in his world, he prefers repurposing most of what he owns, until it’s no longer utilitarian. On a rainy day spent in his studio, Suket talked to us about his journey, and about everyday luxury (“breathe it, be it”), and how whether it is pinstripes picked out in gold thread, or a motif in zari that’s tucked into a collar line, you can find some of these understated bits of cultural insignia in his collection for us.

This line is one we’re proud of, and that has some of his whimsy, some of our laid-back ease, and all the good stuff that a dapper gent needs. For the most part, Dhir’s collaboration with Nicobar shows off his love for old school tailoring techniques married with impeccable detailing, an earthy and autumnal line that is designed to be worn this festive season and for years beyond. Classic silhouettes are made fresh with contemporary detail. A palette of lightweight cotton voile, washed denim, and breathable linen is paired with a wash of muted pattern and print (and always that signature single threaded button) to make a versatile line that is essential and special in equal measure. Simply put, gentlemen (and ladies who love Annie Hall as much as us), treat’s on us this season. We’ll take the hat, the 300 thread-count khadi, and all the Thomas Crown Affair references, please.

Your first look at the Nicobar x Suket collection, here.