Black and white photo of Surily in white t shirt in front of grey background with pink breast cancer awareness ribbon pinned to her shirt. She has long brown hair over one shoulder.

Alumni

FIDM Grad Surily DP Goel Designs and Runs Successful India-Based Fashion Line

With a career ranging from Bollywood costumes to styling celebrity clients to her own fashion line, FIDM Grad Surily DP Goel is talented and successful. Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Surily graduated from FIDM with her A.A. in Fashion Design in 1998. She then started working with Manish Malhotra, a celebrity stylist back home in Mumbai, and was able to go out on her own shortly after as a costume designer and stylist. More recently, she’s focused exclusively on her fashion line, Surily G. We checked in with her to learn more.

two models wear fashion designs by Surily G standing among tree branches with a view of the ocean behind them

Please tell us about your line, Surily G. What’s your point of view as a designer? India is a country that is rich in culture, color, textile, and handcraft. We are blessed with talented artisans who work day and night to weave magic. Surily G as a label has a bohemian take to our rich heritage. We are primarily a resort/destination wedding label and our brand USP is the use of shells, mirrors, beads, and thread work combining to form a geometric pattern. As a designer I like to celebrate our culture and marry our traditional motifs with western silhouettes and relaxed styles to create our own unique look making the beading the focal point of the garment.

two models wear long white dresses with bright orange and yellow accents by Surily G standing on a ladder to a tree house outdoors

You’ve also designed costumes for Bollywood films. How did you get into that? Yes, I did design costumes for a few films and styled ad campaigns and a few TV shows. After I graduated I worked under celebrity designer and stylist Manish Malhotra for 5 years and had the good fortune to learn a lot from him as India functions differently to the west. I also met a lot of people in that time so when I started working on my own opportunities came my way. Having said that, I have been single mindedly focusing on my fashion line for the last 8 years.

model wearing full-length yellow silk v-neck dress with fringe by Indian fashion designer Surily DP Goel standing outdoors in front of green lush plants

How is designing costumes different from designing a fashion line? Designing costumes is totally different from designing a fashion label. Designing costumes is a team effort. You are there to realize the director's vision. To help make his vision a reality you have to keep in mind the character, the time period, the story, the set, and work within many other factors. A fashion line is solely your dream, your vision, your creativity, becoming a reality.

two models wear fashion designs by Surily G sitting on white chaise lounges outside in the shade

How did FIDM help prepare you for your career? The most important thing I learned at FIDM was the technical aspect of making a garment: the zips, the darts, the seams, the fit!! You can design the most beautiful piece but if you cannot construct it and make it a reality it's of no use.

model wearing tan and white polka dot dress with fringe by Indian fashion designer Surily DP Goel sitting on a porch with her leg up on the arm of the chair

Anything else you’d like to share? Nothing substitutes for hard work!! Having said that, there is a whole wide world out there and I find that travel/nature inspires me the most.

two models wear fashion designs by Surily G standing outside with lush green plants behind them as they look at the ground

Explore Surily’s work on Instagram @surilyg.