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Indian Express
6 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Indian Express
Ritu Kumar at 80: How she drew Indian fashion out of the colonial yoke by rescuing block prints and lost textiles
When Ritu Kumar moved from Kolkata to Delhi, she chose to stay far away from the feverish bustle of south Delhi and bought a farm in Bijwasan, the city's southwestern frontier. Giant terracotta horses from Tamil Nadu lead the way up to her sprawling farmhouse with wraparound greens, pergolas and sitouts, daylight slanting through their sun-baked silhouettes. 'The potters came here every three years, brought the maati (clay) with them and made the horses here. They still come to layer the horses with clay. It's all about the earth,' says the doyen of Indian fashion and textile revivalist, who has dug deep into her roots and supplanted the colonial legacy of what we should wear and who we should become. Much before 'Made in India' became a scream, she gave us a label that we could literally wear on our sleeves. 'Even now, no matter where I go, I pick up a garment made by locals,' says Kumar, who is archiving India's textiles, building an online library and finishing her new book. She has even threaded her life into tradition as evidenced by the block-printed panels lining her walls. Having just returned to the ramp with the Fashion Design Council of India's (FDCI) couture show last month, Kumar showed how artisanal traditions could be effortless and relevant for the Gen Z woman with sharply tailored separates, corseted jackets paired with delicate sheers and vintage florals on flowing silks and velvet scarves. 'Did you know that the printed silk scarves I began with in the 60s became a cult fashion statement in the West?', asks Kumar, who had stores in Paris, London and New York in the late 80s and 90s, much before globalisation and the retail boom came to Indian shores. She even dressed royalty like Princess Diana. Later, she may have shifted most of her international business online and to collaborative showcases but her annual turnover at the time ran into crores, the highest for any Indian fashion outlet. An art history major from Briarcliff College in New York, Kumar moved to Kolkata where her husband Shashi was based and took up museology at the Ashutosh Museum of Indian Art. 'I was fascinated by how Western art had been preserved. But back then, none of India's rich repository of sculpture, painting, crafts and textiles was documented. Besides, the colonialists took away every collectible with them. So I started researching Indian art heritage,' she says. She would take the tram to College Street, climb the old, dilapidated building and never miss a class. 'The faculty was brilliant and we were just three students in a class. I got an opportunity to study the dig site of Chandraketugarh, an ancient port city near Kolkata. Archaeological evidence suggests it was a thriving trading centre with connections to the Mauryan and Gupta empires. Excavations unearthed terracotta artefacts, Roman coins, remains of Greek ships and fine pottery. Villagers would find terracotta figurines and bead necklaces far away from the dig; I still have some of them. I would go there in an Ambassador car, work through the day and come back at night. There was me attending races over the weekend and rushing back to the dig on Mondays,' recalls Kumar, now 80. In between excavations, she would explore nearby areas. That's how she chanced upon charred wooden blocks carved with intricate designs. That led her to Serampore, which was the block printing hub of Bengal in the 1800s. 'We had an indigenous block printing industry which had been wiped out by colonialists so that they could sell their cheap Lancashire-printed cotton textiles. The wood carvers of Serampore burnt their blocks after losing their livelihood. The British had killed the memory of Indian designs, leaving us with no references. My blood boiled and I found my calling. I would revive the textiles and crafts of India, beginning with Bengal,' says Kumar. She set up her first design unit in Serampore in the 60s — an old British fish godown with high ceiling — with some tables and all the hand-block printing and the Murshidabad silk she could lay her hands on. She would hop house to house to find artisans who remembered a design. 'There was just endless waiting on charpoys under a tree and having cups of chai and conversations in the heat, but I had to find the keepers of legacy,' she adds. The Ritu Kumar story began under the trees — the fabric was washed in the Ganga and sun-dried, the vegetable dyes were mixed and the sheesham wood was chiselled up. She also had her sweet revenge for all the cultural appropriation that had happened till then. 'The British would import fabric from India, mimic Indian designs, print them in Lancashire and then sell it back to us. They did the same with chintz, block-printed or hand-painted textiles that were wax-polished. These became very popular in 17th and 18th century Europe but then the mill-made imitations took over. Since it was the mid-60s, the age of flower power and The Beatles, we exported printed dresses, silk scarves and bags to Paris. They became hugely popular,' says Kumar. So much so that everybody began copying them. She recalls meeting a garment exporter from Surat on a flight from Varanasi to Delhi, who sold fake Ritu Kumar merchandise. 'He asked me who Ritu Kumar was. We were a baby enterprise but somebody had seen potential in our designs and had decided to copy them. Just because we did not learn to value our handwriting, fakes seemed to be an acceptable idea,' says Kumar. Copying became so prevalent that units in Surat began producing 2,000 saris a day. Varanasi and Ahmedabad followed suit as unit after unit came up. Of course, there was a silver lining. From printing polka dots and stripes, Kumar slowly observed Indian designs creep into fabric borders and house linen. There was a subtle assertion of Indian identity. That's when she decided to make identity an aspiration as she criss-crossed the country to document the costumes and textiles of royal India. That continues to shape her couture collections today. 'That awareness of identity really triggered an energy in this country to go into our own roots. Suddenly we saw alternatives to buttons, bows and laces, even fasteners and chappals. Things that had completely gone out of a nation's collective memory,' says Kumar, who toured the country extensively to rescue dying textiles. She worked with culture revivalist Pupul Jaykar, who founded the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in 1990. But it was the women embroiderers of Rajasthan and Bhuj, Gujarat, who overwhelmed her. 'They would keep imagining the most vibrant of designs with their needle and thread despite their spartan existence. They would stitch sitting atop the hump of a camel or in the open fields. They would line their mud huts with mica pieces which reflected the light from their evening lamp, bright enough for them to finish their patchwork bedspread. They chose design as their everyday language and saw beauty despite a life of denial. It was the best example of art for art's sake,' says Kumar. She had knowledge of textile history, they had the skill. That's how she began work at crafts clusters promoted by Jaykar. 'Most craftsmen knew about their inherited legacies. I was just a catalyst as it all came back to them. They had conversations with their fathers and grandfathers who tapped into their leftover memories and oral history,' says Kumar. Working with craftsmen in their villages, Kumar was the first designer to decentralise her operations. 'Take the craftsman and weaver out of their ecosystem and buttonhole them in urban slums, and you would not get the best work. All my units are in and around Kolkata. There's a separate design unit, a printing unit, a tailoring unit, an embroidery unit and a finishing unit. Nobody has to leave their homes. I would rather have them do their work surrounded by coconut trees, pukurs (ponds), and rice fields. It's still an organically rich life. A happy mind means happy designs,' says Kumar who laid the template for the wedding market as we know it — designer lehengas, cocktail gowns and ceremonial wear. Kumar's unwavering focus on crafts, textiles and drapes like the ghaghra inspired a generation of designers who became custodians of craft — from Rohit Bal, JJ Valaya, Tarun Tahiliani to now Sabyasachi Mukherjee, the latter even describing her work as 'wearable art.' What she also bequeathed was a business model, having opened her first store in Defence Colony in 1966, lending an address to Indians unused to a bespoke experience beyond their tailor. This was at a time when fashion weeks had not happened; the first was held in 2000. 'We did showcases. I had the Tree of Life exhibition series with a film on kalamkari and chikankari. Then we had six models come on the ramp to reinterpret the same with modern outfits. We had similar showcases through the Festival of India series abroad. This generated tremendous curiosity in the West about our hand-made textile legacies,' says Kumar. As export orders for her hand-block prints came from all over, her husband stepped in to help her manage the business. Post-liberalisation, India's beauty boom and string of pageant winners from India meant Kumar got to define the look for Miss Indias that got global attention. However, that early mover's advantage also made her aware of the challenges of running a couture store in the West. 'For brands like Dior, couture is a lot about public image on the ramp. Their actual sales come from perfumes, lipsticks, shoes, bags, accessories, ready-to-wear. Our designers are only about bespoke experiences, so sustainability overseas is a concern,' says Kumar, who has often been stereotyped as catering to the bridal market. 'Things have to move off the shelves to make sense. The bridal market is not just about designers, it is about the parallel hubs like Farrukhabad, which is one of the biggest wholesale markets for bridal wear and has managed to keep the craft of zardozi alive. The wedding market will continue to be a conduit of our crafts,' says Kumar, who still privileges the craftspeople over her label. 'Who am I to label heritage?' However, she has left hard business decisions and innovation to her son Amrish Kumar, who has helmed the Western pret line, Label, for 20 years. Young urban Indian women have taken to its boho chic Parisian appeal. Amrish has been focusing on creating entry-level, pret sub-brands of accessories like Ritu Kumar Homes to look beyond couture. Recently, Reliance Retail acquired 52 per cent in the fashion brand. 'We've had private equity before but corporatisation helps us scale up the brand, unlock its value and create a larger market,' says Amrish, who imbibed his mother's sensibilities while accompanying her to Serampore and Kolkata. Much of Kumar's life has been about travelling on the road. 'Both my sons were in Doon School, so I would plan my travels in such a way that I would be mostly home during their vacations. No mother is ever satisfied but I tried to do the right thing. I would take them to the units, give them little blocks and colours to play with and let them daub on waste cloth. They would come home all black and blue. Some sort of osmosis happened here as both my sons have chosen creative disciplines,' says Kumar. Her other son, Ashvin, is a filmmaker. These days, she is to be found mostly in her library, working with her archivist on her book. 'If you don't give the next generation any access to what we already have, we will lose our heritage. More cultural misappropriations, like the recent Prada take on Kolhapuri chappals, will happen. The West doesn't have a textile heritage of its own. Ours cannot be patented because it is centuries old, the common wealth of communities and has just too many designs,' says Kumar, breaking off to go over some sketches. She looks out the window, like she would if she were seated in a tram in Kolkata many decades ago. 'It's the most fantastic transport there ever was. Ashutosh Museum is now a gorgeous new building. But the old bookshops are there as is the Coffee House. Last time I was in the city, I had a coffee,' says Kumar, who still likes to remind herself everyday what made her.
Hans India
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Aaquib Wani on Designing Ritu Kumar's Couture Set: A Sacred World Between Memory and Imagination
Celebrating five decades of Ritu Kumar's legacy, Day 5 of Hyundai India Couture Week saw a showcase like no other. The designer's 'Threads of Time: Reimagined' collection came alive against an evocative and immersive backdrop envisioned by art director Aaquib Wani. Known for designing the Indian Cricket Team's jerseys, Wani collaborated closely with Amrish Kumar, Ritu Kumar's son and Managing Director of the brand, to create a space that was both deeply rooted and surreal. The result was a world that felt 'suspended between history and imagination,' Wani told. With towering Ayyanar terracotta horses and an enigmatic red neon script dubbed the RKumara Script, the set was a poetic contrast of cultural legacy and futuristic design. 'The vision was to create a space that felt like walking into a forgotten memory, part mythology and part invention,' said Wani. He described the concept as intentionally abstract, designed not to tell a literal story but to evoke timeless emotion. 'We weren't interested in a literal narrative. The idea was to evoke something timeless, something that felt sacred but also surreal.' Two main elements dominated the minimalist set—sculpted terracotta horses and a glowing red neon script that framed the stage. 'The horses were large, sculpted pieces inspired by Ayyanar traditions... made in a way that felt true to the craft but scaled up for the space,' Wani explained. Meanwhile, the R Kumara Script—built entirely in-house—served as an ethereal bridge between language and feeling. 'It doesn't ask to be read, it asks to be felt.' The fictional script, designed to be a fully functional digital typeface, added a speculative dimension to the stage. Wani emphasized, 'We weren't trying to communicate information, we were creating a feeling.' Creating this dreamlike visual world took nearly a month. The typeface required full character design and spatial adaptability, while the horses demanded the skills of seasoned artisans to retain a handmade authenticity despite their grand scale. Speaking on set decor's role in fashion showcases, Wani noted, 'It should support the story being told... a good set is one that expands the world the designer is creating. It's not background, it's context.' The partnership with Amrish Kumar made the process seamless and focused. 'There was a lot of clarity in what we were trying to say,' Wani said, highlighting the simplicity and strength behind the concept. The audience response was telling—visitors eagerly captured photos with the sculptural horses and script wall. 'When people want to hold on to a piece of the set, you know it is connected,' he added. With just two well-thought-out elements, Aaquib Wani succeeded in building a space that visually and emotionally echoed Ritu Kumar's quiet yet powerful couture narrative.
News18
30-07-2025
- Automotive
- News18
Aaquib Wani: A Good Set Is One That Expands The World The Designer Is Creating
Terracotta Horses, Red Neon Script: Aaquib Wani Tells The Story Behind Ritu Kumar's Set Design at Hyundai India Couture Week Ritu Kumar closed Day 5 of Hyundai India Couture Week, honouring five decades of the brand's legacy. Joining in the celebrations was art director Aaquib Wani, who worked closely with Ritu Kumar's son Amrish Kumar, to create a world surrounded by culture and imagination. The larger-than-life set design for the showcase played the perfect canvas for Ritu Kumar's Threads of Time: Reimagined collection. Aaquib Wani, the artist behind the iconic Indian Cricket Team jerseys, shares with News18 the vision for Ritu Kumar's set design, the story behind the Ayyanar terracotta horses and the fictional neon script on the backdrop and the importance of a good set that helps expand the world the fashion designer is creating. What was the vision for the set design for Ritu Kumar's showcase? The vision was to create a space that felt like walking into a forgotten memory, part mythology and part invention. We weren't interested in a literal narrative. The idea was to evoke something timeless, something that felt sacred but also surreal. The Ayyanar terracotta horses gave us that rooted cultural energy. To balance that, we created a fictional neon script that felt like a language from another time. We built the entire typeface in-house and called it the RKumara Script. We even turned it into a functional font that could be typed with, built to work like any other digital typeface once installed. Together, these elements helped us build a world that felt suspended between history and imagination. We used just two elements for the entire setup, the terracotta horses and the red neon script. The horses were large, sculpted pieces inspired by Ayyanar traditions, placed across the runway to create presence without blocking movement. They were made in a way that felt true to the craft but scaled up for the space. The backdrop was a long stretch of glowing red script we designed in-house. It ran clean across the background and framed the show without distracting from the clothes. The idea was to keep the setup minimal but strong enough to hold the energy of the collection. How long did it take to create the backdrop and the horses? Close to a month. Designing the typeface took time because it wasn't just calligraphy, it had to function as a full character set. The layout and scale had to work across the space while still feeling immersive and poetic. The horses took their own time. Sculpting at that size while still keeping the handmade quality intact meant we had to get the right artisans involved. What's the story behind the script and what do the words mean? The RKumara script didn't mean anything in a conventional sense. That was the point. We weren't trying to communicate information, we were creating a feeling. The script was designed to sit somewhere between memory and myth. It hints at language, at history, but it stays open-ended. It doesn't ask to be read, it asks to be felt. It became this silent thread connecting the past to a speculative future. Should the set decor stand out or blend in at a fashion showcase? It should support the story being told. Sometimes that means being bold, sometimes that means disappearing. But either way, it has to feel intentional. For me, a good set is one that expands the world the designer is creating. It's not background, it's context. In this case, the clothes had a quiet strength, and the set needed to hold that without overpowering it. So we created something that could exist in parallel, visually strong, but in sync. How was the experience working with Ritu Kumar for this showcase? We worked with Amrish Kumar, who is Ritu Kumar's son and now the Managing Director of the brand Ritu Kumar on this, and the collaboration was sharp and focused. He had the initial concept, and we built the visual world around it. There was a lot of clarity in what we were trying to say, no over-explaining, no dressing things up. The response was instant. After the show, people were taking photos with the horses and the glowing script wall. That kind of post-show engagement is rare and says a lot. When people want to hold on to a piece of the set, you know it is connected. About the Author Akshata Shetty Completing almost two decades in journalism, Akshata Shetty's journey from print to online journalism is a celebration of fashion, art and music. Akshata's fashion stories are about the people who celebrate More The News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health, fashion, travel, food, and culture — with wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration, and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Ritu Kumar: Couture celebrates Calcutta's charm
Fashion speaks the loudest when it becomes a bridge between the past and the present. At Hyundai India Couture Week 2025, in association with Reliance Brands, an initiative of FDCI, designer Ritu Kumar did exactly that. The collection felt close to Ritu Kumar's roots, inspired by her own memories and her love for Indian craft.(Raajessh Kashyap/HT) Her show, Threads of Time: Reimagined, opened to soft Bengali music and the set by design studio Aaquib Wani, evoking the nostalgic charm of a bygone Kolkata home. The background featured the Bengali alphabet in the shade of red and terracotta horses. The mood was gentle, nostalgic, and emotionally charged, merging seamlessly with the collection. The showcase drew from the designer's personal memories, her rich archive of prints, and an exploration of Indian craft. Traditional patterns were reimagined into sheer layers, velvet wraps, corseted blouses, crystal bodysuits, and sharply tailored jackets. Details like voluminous Barbie ponytails, muted makeup, and embroidered stockings added a dose of vintage glamour. A standout moment came when a model glided down the ramp with a dupatta draped as a handbag, blurring the line between accessory and garment. Each look felt deeply rooted in craft, yet shaped by a distinctly modern sensibility. The silhouettes were romantic yet assertive; the embellishments rich, but never overpowering. This was bridal and festive wear for women who look for meaning in what they wear, not just beauty. Also, actor Bhumi Pednekar walked as the showstopper for the showcase, wearing an ivory lehenga with a sheer corset blouse and a long veil.
Time of India
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bhumi Pednekar brings back the magic of ‘The Royals' for Ritu Kumar
(Image Credits: Instagram) A true fashion trailblazer of the season, Bhumi Pednekar recently turned muse for veteran designer Ritu Kumar and graced the ramp in a detailed beige lehenga that had a dreamy vision spread all over it. Encapsulating the perfect blend of classic elegance with a hint of modern glam, the powerful duo took us back to the sets of 'The Royals', leaving us with a nostalgic traditional charm. Presenting her latest collection, 'Threads of Time', Ritu Kumar honoured the craft and memory and brought a fashion-forward palette to the ramp. The ace designer has been part of the fashion world for more than five decades now. By putting Bhumi Pednekar as the face of her showcase, she proved why she's still thriving in the glam world, as Bhumi walked the ramp with utmost confidence and exuded the right amount of drama. (Image Credits: Instagram) Bhumi's showstopping look featured a beige lehenga with soft brown undertones and came in with a meticulous threadwork aura, blended with delicate embellishment. The detailing on the plunging sleeveless blouse with a cropped hemline is a classic Ritu Kumar style, which was completed with fine embroidery and a statement lace border. Bhumi Pednekar Chooses 'The Royals' The A-line lehenga skirt boasted a sequined waistband and hand-embroidered floral motifs dipped in gold and brown hues, which also came with a shimmery gota patti border. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dexcom G7 is proven to lower A1C and increase time in range³⁻⁷. Dexcom Undo Ditching the usual dupatta show, Ritu Kumar made sure to end the look with a bang and instead opted for an opulent cape jacket. But this blooming cape is not your usual style, as it features an open front with side slits and has a dramatic flared tail at the back. (Image Credits: Instagram) Adding more sparkles to the look, she accessorised the contemporary lehenga with a statement emerald-diamond choker set and a pair of matching earrings. Carrying a luminous makeup avatar with bold berry-toned lips and flushed cheeks, she went all out in glam with her beauty tricks and managed to find an overall balance. Ritu Kumar reimagined legacy with her 'Threads of Time' collection and brought in a sleek blend of traditional craftsmanship with innovative designs. The showcase bridges the designer's decades-spanning bequest with a modish twist added by her son, Amrish Kumar. The collection had corset detailing, fusion-printed silks, sheer detailing, micro florals, and crystal embellishments that celebrated her five decades of fashion journey and a vision of how things evolve and what they can become.
