Winning The Woolmark Prize Is A Game-Changer For Indian Designer Ruchika Sachdeva
When you're an up-and-coming fashion designer gaining recognition can be difficult. Imagine being based in New Delhi, India to boot and you've got the plight of Bodice designer Ruchika Sachdeva. "You can be doing something so beautiful but nobody knows about it," says Sachdeva. But thanks to the International Woolmark Prize things are about to change for the womenswear designer.
Since 1953, the International Woolmark Prize has been granted to fashion designers in recognition of their work with wool (past recipients including Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent, and Gabriela Hearst in 2017.) This year, participants from more than sixty countries submitted their merino wool designs, but it was Bodice that took home the ultimate prize over fellow finalists KYE, Harman Grubiša, Le Kilt, David Laport, and Zaid Affas.
Sachdeva's winning collection consisted of lightweight wool separates, 80 percent of which were created across five different regions of India. "From the yarn, the dying, the textile development, [to] the manufacturing, everything was done in India," she told ELLE.com backstage following the announcement of her win. "It is more sustainable to do things locally [...]. If I'm not going to do that, what's the point?" The collection also incorporated traditional techniques, courtesy of the local artisans she employed, like utilizing Bio-Dye from Sawantwadi, central India, sourcing buttons from renewable sources like coconut shells and wood, and more.
"The collection felt very complete, very thoughtful, personal, modern, but at the same time I can see people I know in the collection and that's always a very telling sign," said Phillip Lim, one of the designer judges who cast his vote for Bodice. "It's like when people say 'it just speaks to me.' I got that from her [collection]."
Winning a prize like this from Woolmark can be a turning point for designers looking for a bigger audience. Despite having over 20 stores in India, Bodice has had little exposure in other markets. Sachdeva's accomplishment marks an opportunity to showcase Bodice on a global scale. "It's a game changer, especially for us because we're so far away, we're not on the radar." The Woolmark Prize will grant Bodice AU$200,000 (about $156,000 USD) to help grow the business, industry mentorship, and potential placement in Harvey Nichols, MyTheresa.com, Ssense.com, and other major retailers.
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