RITU KUMAR
Ritu Kumar is one of the foremost designers in
the Indian fashion industry credited with boutique brands such as ‘Ritu Kumar’ and ‘Ri’ along with ‘Label Ritu Kumar’ which runs under the leadership of her
son. Recipient of the Padma Shri Award in 2013, Ritu Kumar as a brand appeals
to many patrons who are avidly interested in ancient arts and crafts molded
into contemporary fashion items. Ritu Kumar’s list of patrons includes the
who’s who of India. Her product offerings include couture as well as formal
prêt accessories. Several international celebrities have also worn and praised
her work. She has started a series of video campaigns called Beautiful Hands,
based out of Kolkata, which garners support for indigenous craftsmen and their
crafts.
Ritu Kumar for Padma Shri Award 2013
Background
Born in Amritsar, Punjab, Ritu Kumar is a
native of Delhi. She graduated in 1964 from Lady Irwin College in Delhi and
pursued her higher education from Briarcliff College in New York. She has a
background in art history and museology. Her enterprise as an Indian designer began nearly 40 years ago in Kolkata (then
Calcutta) in West Bengal. Four hand-block printing craftsmen in a small village
nearby served the executors of her design. From these humble beginnings, she
has transcended to owning 35 high-end stores across 14 cities in the country.
She is one of the pioneers of Indian fusion garments and has thus been honored
with many prestigious awards and accolades. Besides the Padma Shri award, she
has also received the Achievement Award in 2012 at L’Oreal Paris Femina Women’s
Awards and the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini award for her role in the
development of the fashion industry. Over the span of her career, she has been
bestowed with many other honors.
She is also one of the founding members of the
All India Artisans and Craft Workers Welfare Association (AIACA) along with
four other renowned Indian fashion brands. She has been credited with the
ushering of the ‘boutique culture’ in India.
Ritu Kumar’s Couture
SOURCES OF INSPIRATION
Her background in art history and museology
has inspired her line of clothing designs and ensembles. Preferring to work
with fabrics like silk, cotton, and leather, Ritu Kumar’s outfits are stunning
in their richness, elegance, and intricacy of embroidery. Her clothes actively
reflect the rich embroidery heritage of India, whether in their motifs, type of
stitching or the elements used in the embroidery.
Her more recent line of clothing caters to the
contemporary Indian woman, her inspiration draws on India’s fashion heritage
meeting the changing needs of the new generation. While Indian prints,
embroideries, and motifs still feature heavily in these outfits, the array of
silhouettes mingles Western and Indian styles.
FACES BEHIND THE ARTISTRY OF RITU
KUMAR
Ritu Kumar’s roots and the history of her
current empire reflect her investment into preserving the traditional Indian
crafts and respect for the craftsmen who have been given the knowledge of
execution of these crafts. Her campaign, Beautiful Hands, encourages the
purchase of garments and accessories that showcase ethnic Indian styles of
embroidery. To go with this campaign, she has started a line of clothing known
as ‘The Revivalist’. The premise of this clothing line is to resurrect
traditional Indian crafts and integrate them into mainstream fashion. The first
two craft forms that have been taken up by this designer in association with
grassroots social enterprises are the Kutch and Shibori forms of embroidery.
The videos catalogue the behind-the-scenes
of Ritu Kumar’s collections i.e. the people, the processes, and the techniques.
She has been working with the craftsmen in Kolkata since the beginning. Among
others, a lot of Ritu Kumar’s work showcases work and textiles such as Jamdani and Tangail. The
legacy of the craftsmen and their ancestors interspersed with Ritu Kumar’s own
legacy are made known through this campaign.
DESIGN
Kumar's designs focus on natural
fabrics and traditional printing and weaving techniques. She has also included
Western elements in her work, but has generally not innovated beyond traditional sari designs.
Her clothes have been worn by celebrities such as Princess Diana, Priyanka
Chopra, Lara Dutta, Deepika
Padukone, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Madhur
Jaffrey, Kalki Koechlin, Dia Mirza, Soha Ali Khan and Jemima Goldsmith.
STYLE AND VARIETY
Although Ritu Kumar is almost synonymous
with Indian traditional textiles and fashion, her personal journey in fashion
has evolved over the years to meet the expectations of different generations
from across the globe. Her contemporary spin on traditional designs have been
smartly incorporated into silhouettes that are fresh and reinvented with every
season. The styling and textures of her ensembles is creative and appealing to
the style quotients of consumers from across the globe. Her contribution
towards making Indian ethnic fashion known and consumed by international
clientele is noteworthy. Her bridal collection is considered a show-stopper on
the runway and features a lot of zari, zardozi and other forms
of embroidery that make use of this precious metal.
Under the ‘Ritu Kumar’ banner, she has
designed and sold Indian ethnic wear, including a selection of customizable
garments as well as bridal outfits, such as suits, sarees, lehengas, Kurtis and accessories. The ‘Label Ritu
Kumar’ Banner however, is a collection of Western silhouettes featuring
traditional Indian embellishments. To go with the outfits are several modish
accessories such as sling bags which again prominently popularize Indian forms
of textile crafts hewn onto leather.
INNOVATIONS
Innovations are a big part of
Ritu Kumar’s fashion dialect. Whether it is presenting traditional textile art
forms in a new way on traditional garments or traditional art forms on Western
clothes, Ritu Kumar has continuously refreshed her line in many ways, while
keeping the cultural flavour and heritage of India alive. Another example of
such innovation is the brand’s accessories and the ease of their amalgamation
into Indian as well as Western looks.
INTERESTING FACTS
- “Chevalier des arts et des letters” (knight of the order of arts and letters) is a prestigious award that has been bestowed on Ritu Kumar by the French Government for her revival of traditional crafts.
- Her brand ‘Ritu Kumar’ has been actively trading in India as well as Europe since 1970.
- By engaging craftsmen from a village near Kolkata, she has been credited with the resurrection of Zardozi which was a flourishing art during the Mughal period.
Website : https://www.ritukumar.com/in/
Thank You.
Article written by -
Ms. Bhumi Gala
Thank You.
Article written by -
Ms. Bhumi Gala
Second Year
Fashion Design Department
Envisage Institute Of Design
