Raymond recently launched a hundred percent pure Linen line, produced from long staple fibres, that is offered in a wide range available in counts of 44 Lea to 150 Lea (finest in the world) ... The launch of Raymond Linen 2015 was announced with an exclusive collection by our friend and fashion designer Suket Dhir, who calls the Raymond Linen range a "free spirited" fabric, just like him :) Linen is a live Natural Fibre that comes from the Flax plant .... which grows all over the Mediterranean region and Central Asia .... Pure linen sheets were a luxurious trousseau choice of the Anglo Saxons famed for their flaxen hair ( golden or blonde, the natural colour of linen) ... and they used to pass on their "linen" on to generations after them because of its durability !! .... Even ancient Greece and later, the Renaissance Italians considered linen a symbol of luxury ... Linen is a complete lifestyle by itself !! …. And no Gentleman’s wardrobe and home furnishing is complete without the finest linen … be it the ancient Greeks or the modern suave Indian !!

So what are the properties of Linen as a fabric, that has made it so famous in history ? .... Many and plentiful says team Raymond, on our recent visit to The Raymond Shop, for the unveiling of Raymond Linen 2015 ... We hope you have caught up with our tryst with Raymond in this article HERE and HERE :) 

"Linen is my Muse" says celebrated designer Suket Dhir, as we sit down for a chat in his Studio at Lado Sarai, Delhi ... "I think as far as linen is concerned …. it is personally one of my  most loved fabrics! .... I have been using linen from the day i started with this label ... I simply love the way it falls, the texture, the way it bounces … this fabric has a life of its own which is amazing .. its a free-spirited fabric. ....  And Raymond Linen and Suket Dhir is a natural match .... Before Raymond, the highest count of linen that was available in India was 80-120 lea. ... Raymond Linen has taken it to 150 lea, that's the finest in the world ... Also i think i would need a whole day to just talk about the variety of designs, colours and patterns that Raymond Linen has launched .... Its madness !! .... the amount of options one can choose from their Linen collection ... its crazy!! .... From thicker ones to the finer ones … and the finer ones are so fine .... that they are undoubtedly the finest in the world !  .... As soon as i was given these fabrics … it got me very excited .... For example the 150 lea linen shirting fabric ... Its the most beautiful and the finest fabric on the planet .. trust me … fantastic for Kurtas, shirts, sarees what not! … And that was it! I was sold! "

The Raymond Linen wardrobe by Suket is indeed one of the most fascinating garment crafting we have ever seen !! .... As fashion bloggers, we were quite curious to see how Suket would deliver on the Womenswear part of the collection .... After all the Suket Dhir label is synonymous with menswear !! .... Known for his exclusive use of natural fabrics and sustainable materials as his design philosophy, ... Suket is one of India's most renowned Menswear designer !! ... Of course our good friend, super model Rikee Chatterjee carried off the garments beautifully in a stunning Lookbook shot by ace photographer Tarun Khiwal in Rishikesh ..... But Rikee C is a tall model with a superb frame who would look good even in a sack haha ... But what about standard figured girls like us ? .... For Indian girls, anti fit doesn't really work as a silhouette .... unless you belong to the sartorially adventurous minority :) 

But were we in for a huge surprise ... In Suket's studio, we tried on a few pieces from the Raymond Linen collection ... And it was instant love !!! .... So what was the trick ? .... Says Suket .... 

"Not a single jacket that we did, was a women's wear jacket .... It was a men's wear jacket … These jackets obviously don't have those darts that are gonna contour your body in a certain way… But that's with linen … as soon as you start restricting the fabric it stops being linen … Linen cannot be restricted! ... Less is more .... Linen is a difficult fabric to work with but the end result is really good ... The trick is to wear a relaxed fit but ‘relaxed’ doesn't mean ‘loose’"

That is why the Raymond Linen Collection  are not slim fits, but Easy Fits .... Comfort lies in the right fit and that is what Suket achieved for Raymond .... "My collection shows you how linen has to be treated. The main thing for me was to maintain the quality and finish that had been associated with Raymond and Suket Dhir — for me, the garments needed to be perfect from the inside as they were from the outside "

We feel that Suket has created poetry with Linen !! … He has brought nature to our wardrobes .... We have fallen in love with the texture … the feel … and the experience of Raymond Linen … It is 100% pure … Has the widest range of colours and design well complemented for suiting and shirting …. Beautiful digital prints, denim look, innovative jacquard, flock prints, reversible linen, two tone colours, melange effect in a natural eco friendly fabric !! … Linen is truly a class apart, the most tactile fabric that softens beautifully with age … Linen is Bliss :)

Suket Dhir

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Raymond X Suket Dhir was a natural collaboration which was waiting to happen when three aesthetics match so flawlessly ... the fabric Linen ... the brand Raymond ... and the designer Suket Dhir  .... In our next post, we will be unboxing Raymond Linen 2015 ... through two ensembles that we designed and collaborated with Suket ... Until then :)

DSB