She gets candid about her latest collection, the evolving customer, and more.
On a balmy Wednesday evening in the lastweek of July, fashion lovers from acrossthe city had gathered at the Taj PalaceHotel, New Delhi. It was the second dayof the FDCI x Hyundai India CoutureWeek and there was palpable excitement for the show thatwas about to begin. Not surprising, considering it was thegrande dame of Indian fashion, Ritu Kumar’s return tocouture week after a gap of 10 years.
As the show began andmodels sashayed down the ramp in heavily embroideredclassics like the Anarkali kurta, printed saris draped inseveral ways, lehangas, and shararas, along with westernstyles like bodysuits, short jackets, and gowns, all elevated bystatement-making footwear, think knee-length boots andbroad heels, you knew the OG (incidentally the name ofthe collection as well) was back. The show that incorporatedthe lexicon of classic Ritu Kumar designs—paisley patterns,vegetable-dye prints, and gold dabka work—was a tributeto a legacy which has weathered the strains of fashiontrends and time. It is worn alike by grandmothers and GenZ—something which was evident as you glanced aroundat the audience, where most were dressed in one of hercreations, age notwithstanding.
Aditi Rao Hydaristunnedas the showstopper in a resplendent ivory lehanga with ajacket-style blouse adorned with intricate handwork. Butit was the standing ovation that Ms Kumar got at the endof the show that left goosebumps on those of us who haveadmired her work and her dedication for Indian handlooms and handicrafts for decades.
A day before the show I meet her at her farm houseon the outskirts of Delhi. Her living space is a reflectionof her personality where every square foot is aestheticallydesigned and decorated. Large terracotta vases andBankura horses peeping through green foliage greet me.Her living room, where I wait for her, has a wallpaper fromthe Ritu Kumar Home collection, beautiful upholsteryand striking hand-embroidered cushions add to the charmof the room. Art works from renowned artists adorn thewalls, reflecting her personal taste.
“It is just an impressionbecause we have not beenparticipating in couture shows. But we have been doingcouture all these years,” she says when I mention herreturning to couture week after a decade. “First, I wasworking for the revival of Banaras with Lakme Fashion Week.It was a big show because we invited all the weavers etc.It had to do more with me reviving the art of weaving,”she explains. Post that, she worked with the Rajasthangovernment for a show on Ajrakh, Bandhini, and othertextile crafts of the state. “Thereafter came Covid and sothat was the end of that. It’s not that I’ve been away fromthe ramp, but I’ve been away from this particular section,which is always more bridal than couture. Our bridal wear wasgoing on the way it was. And soI didn’t need to do thistill now, and therefore, the gap,” she says.
While bridal fashion has changed over the years withthe tastes of the millennial and Gen Z brides varying
from their mothers', Kumar says it doesn’tcompletely change the landscape of her work. “Our workis very dependent on craft, and I want to keep itlike that,” she says. However, she does admit that stylinghas changed for the new generation of fashion enthusiasts.
“When I look at the bridal line that I did when I startedout, I feel like laughing because it was so elementary,” she smiles. Of course, there were many constraints. For instance, artisans in the villages did not have enough space in heir homes, which meant they couldn’t transfer the design from the khaka (design drawn on butter paper before embroidering) tothe fabric. “So I did the next best thing.I started blockprinting outlines so that they could have the khaka. Andthat became a tradition with us. We would first draw the pattern, then give it out to the workers, and then get embroidery done the way we wanted to. So there wasalways a layering of two, or maybe threecrafts,” she explains.
Adding that things havechanged now, she says, “We’renot only doing bridal wear, butalso doing coutureoutfits that people can wear to adinner or a partybut are stillquite exquisite. These are also styledina way that appeal to themillennial. Ourbridal line has become more complex. We’re not just making lehanga choli, sometimeswe also make cloaks and capes. So there is a fun elementto it.” Keeping a younger audience in mind, thenew collection included velvet trouser suits in mocha;awestern frock-meets-Angrakha, giving it a new character;and even a zardozi-encrusted swimsuit, a first-of-its-kindworn with a long jacket.
Kumar says that even if there is a fun element, the core ofthe linewill never change. “I don’t think I can ever do alittle black dress in lycra for the ramp, though when it had to be done, I did do it and even exported it. I used to design two collections a year for theexport market, but it’snot what I have worked on all my life.”
She believes we have always had couture in India, but it’snow that we are finding new ways to define it. “Mostof our weaving, let’s say, the Paithani or the Patola saree,takes a year and a half to be made.” Compared toother countries where all their crafts have been assignedto museums, in India it is still a living tradition. “We’vebeen clothing the world and it’slovely to be able to find thatrichness in our work,” she says.
In October 2021, RelianceRetail Ventures Ltd (RRVL)acquired a 52 per cent stake inher company, Ritika Pvt. Ltdthat owns Ritu Kumar, LabelRitu Kumar, RI Ritu Kumar,aarké, and Ritu Kumar Homeand Living. Kumar says the tie-upmeans her work is available across the country andis accessible to the various strata of society.“The richness in Indian textilesis so large that if I stay with onlya bridal line, I won’t feellike I’m doing justice tothe textile tradition. And it’s notnecessary that whatever you buyfrom us has to be a strain on the pocket.”
Amrish Kumar, the designer's younger son and managingdirector of Reliance Ritu Kumar (the way the companyis referred to post the acquisition) has played an importantrole in designing the new collection, inspired by herarchival pieces. “It’s never about one person. We have afull design team. Because to make five collections, you need to have a lot more efforts going into the designing,” she saysadding that her role is now more advisory.So where does she feel the Indian fashion industry isheaded? “The Indian fashion industry has come a fullcircle. From having gone off the map, it is today one of themost vibrant and sought-after in the world,” she signs off.
Lead photo caption:Ritu Kumar with her showstopper, Aditi Rao Hydari at India Couture Week
