Vir Das and Pradeep Bhatt
For taking fashion design from Haldwani to the Emmys
W“I PICKED PRADEEP DUE TO HIS DESIGNS AND HIS PHILOSOPHY TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FASHION” —VIR DAS
“VIR DAS DID THIS FOR ME AND I HOPE THAT MORE CELEBS FOLLOW SUIT. WHOEVER HAS THE POWER TO HELP SHOULD HELP THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING” —PRADEEP BHATT
hether you loved Vir Das’s recent stand-up performance or not, what is applaud-worthy is that he picked an Indian designer to wear to the Emmy Awards. More specifically, a design student. “Imagine a fourth year college kid from Haldwani showing his work at the Emmys!” gushes Pradeep Bhatt, the 22-yearold fashion design student from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kangra, chosen by Vir to design his outfit.
Bhatt, who moved to Haldwani from his native village of Goom to pursue his education, had come across a retweet about Vir Das wanting to find new designers. Looking for a grad project, he had his CV handy. So, though it seemed far-fetched, he shot off an email.
Higher than Haldwani
“I picked Pradeep because of his designs and his philosophy towards sustainable fashion,” says Vir.
Pradeep is still speechless. “I knew for a fact that no one would open my email. I had no experience! I wrote the email like a fan!”
He sent the email in September and at 11.55pm on October 19, he received a reply stating that Vir liked the vibe of his work. “I thought it was a dream!” he says.
Minimalist approach
When Pradeep decided on his career in class 10, his parents didn’t talk to him for a month. It was only when his mother saw Hrithik Roshan’s comment on Vir’s post about Pradeep that they truly understood what a big deal this is.
“No one in my family is into the arts. But my parents keep me grounded. This was scary and exciting. If I ‘d made a mistake, I would have been judged,” says the avant-garde designer who had chosen a minimalist Indo-Western look with a classic silhouette for Vir.
Pradeep’s DMs these days are flooded with requests for collaborations. “Vir Das did this for me and I hope that more celebs follow suit. Whoever has the power to help should help those who are struggling,” he says.
karishma.kuenzang@hindustantimes.com Follow @kkuenzang on Twitter and Instagram
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