In Gear

Until a few months ago,21-year-old Mridul Jacob had little idea that his college project would become his golden ticket to the world of fashion. A final year student of Pearl Academy of Fashion,Chennai,Jacob won the grand finale of the seventh edition of “The Debut”,a competition to discover young talent,initiated by Wills Lifestyle India. Jacob’s collection,“Saddle Up”,won in the category for formal menswear. “The clothes are for working men in Milan who cycle to work,” says Jacob. The grand finale was held in the Capital on Tuesday. It was judged by designers Namrata Joshipura and Nitin Bal Chauhan,and Sartaj Mehta,head designer,Wills Lifestyle. An annual contest,there were participants from fashion schools across the country.

“The theme of the competition was retro revolution. I have borrowed heavily from the lifestyle of the people in the ’70s and the ’80s by using waist belts,long coats and emphasising on layering,” says Jacob,who will be felicitated on the last day of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) Autumn-Winter 2013 in Delhi on March 17. He has used wool,microfibre and cotton in brown,black,blue,grey and white. Not only does he get an opportunity to try out for the Hi5 category at the WIFW Spring-Summer 2014 ,Jacob has won himself a trip to the Milan Fashion Fair.