Vir Das’ Netflix comedy special Vir Das: For India was nominated for an International Emmy Award. As is the case with any award show, all eyes are on what a celebrity is wearing, or rather ‘who’. Das decided that the Emmys was the perfect moment to showcase up-and-coming Indian fashion designers. Das’ Emmys suit was designed by a student at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Pradeep Bhatt.
Das wore a black buttoned-down jacket with a white kurta and black pants. The comedian had earlier mentioned that he would give the outfit for charity after the event.
Earlier in September, Vir Das had put out a request to budding designers. “The predictable thing to do would be to find a swanky Indian stylist/designer and wear one of their outfits (to the Emmys ceremony). It’s all free and kind of foo foo pretentious.”
He added, “It goes against what one wanted to do with ‘Vir Das: For India’. It was about simplicity. We had no stage, no swag, nothing fancy, chilled desi. I bought the whole outfit (juttis included) online for less than two thousand rupees and got a linen kurta shirt made from friends locally.”
Das had added that he is “a sort of minimalist now,” adding, “So, I’m gonna wear something by a brand new Indian designer.”
Vir Das' Rules for His Emmy Outfit
Vir Das had four rules for his Emmys outfit. The label should be freshly launched or the designer must be freshly graduated or solo. The outfit should borrow from the show’s ‘Indian Western fusion’ aesthetic.
The last two rules were for the outfit to be ‘formal but desi and cool’ and Vir would pay for it and auction it for charity after the show. Vir Das found his designer in Pradeep Bhatt.
Who is Pradeep Bhatt?
Pradeep Bhatt is a fourth-year student at NIFT, Kangra, and lives in Haldwani in Uttarakhand. At NIFT, he is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Design. Bhatt sees Olivier Rousteing as his idol and aims to become a creative director like him.
He has harboured the dream of becoming a designer ever since 7th grade and followed his passion despite not having any mentors. Vir Das’ Emmys outfit is the first outfit Pradeep has designed for the public eye.
Bhatt had also revealed that he’d sent the email to Vir Das as a joke. “Funny that me sending the mail started as a joke, thought nobody would even open my mail, a nobody whose WhatsApp status says "Everybody's trynna to be famous I'm just trynna find a place to hide" and now we are here,” Bhat wrote on Instagram.
He’d send his portfolio to Das in an informal mail and he didn’t expect a reply. Bhatt added that his design reaching the international stage is “important for people who come from small cities with giant dreams.”
Pradeep Bhatt's Designs Are Influenced by His Rare Medical Condition
In an interview with Brut India, Pradeep Bhatt opened up about his medical condition Keratoconus, a rare corneal dysfunction. Keratoconus often causes sensitivity to light and glare and blurred vision.
Talking about his medical condition, Bhatt said, “I don’t see one moon. I see some 16-20 moons. What happens is that one moon gets faded into multiple images that mix up somehow.”
However, Bhatt said that his design is now influenced because of his ‘ability to see things differently.’ Bhatt wrote in Instagram, “I'm probably the chosen one. I had made a pact long back with myself that I will never feel pity about and rather use it as my strength.”
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