In her 20s, she started working on ethnic textiles sourced from villages across the country, which were far from being admired or accepted. There was still a great colonial influence on fashion when she mounted her first small exhibition in a hotel in Calcutta back in the 60s, and this wholly indigenous exploration was a complete disaster.
The grande dame of Indian fashion recalls, “The women said my saris looked like their grandmothers’ bedcovers!” But by the 1980s, as India became “miraculously aware of its rich textile identity,” every woman wanted to own a Ritu Kumar creation.
The success of her brand can largely be attributed to the steadfastness with which Kumar has stuck to her roots. And 50 years on, it is the same homage to a heritage that she exhibits in her new venture, Ritu Kumar Home—a contemporary collection for our homes that is rooted deeply in India’s age-old textile traditions.
It defines a comfortable luxury for homes that like to tell their own stories. “The inspiration is from the nostalgia of long summer days, decadent winter nights and the strolls around the avenues of Calcutta.
From jamaavar shawls from Kashmir, jaalis from the havelis of Lucknow to the exquisite crafts of Masulipatnam and vegetable-printed kalamkaris—the home collection is a whole gamut of alluring textiles belonging to many regional genres,” says Kumar.
She believes that our heritage is closely linked to our textiles and it blends seamlessly with our furnishings. “It was only natural to move into this direction to make beautiful Indian textiles, prints and motifs a part of one’s everyday life.
This collection is homage to the indigenous art forms from our diverse regional handicrafts, hand-printed and handwoven textiles. The prints have been minutely researched and recreated from museum-quality Indian textiles with great attention to detail.”
The collection features a wide range of bed linen, wallpapers, tableware and home décor, all of which are deeply rooted in Indian craftsmanship. Ritu Kumar Home defines comfortable luxury for homes, at the same time invoking nostalgia of a Calcutta gone by and the pitter-patter of monsoon days in quiet nooks that one often yearns for.
The collection is homage to an indigenous art form and most of the pieces are from diverse regions amalgamated to make the line more contemporary. It is truly a sensorial delight with its varied textures and colours.
Textiles have been the fabric of Indian society for centuries and the country has rich textile traditions with multiple dimensions such as embroideries, weaving, printing, and dyeing.
Kumar can be credited with bringing Indian textiles to the forefront of global fashion and her journey has been nothing less than overwhelming. Under Ritu Kumar, there is now Label—Ritu Kumar for the young, RK—for contemporary Indian and RI—dedicated to couture. “We spent all our energies and creativity in the revival of magnificent indigenous art and brought Indian textiles and handloom art back to life and limelight.
The contemporary styling is now an amalgamation of western silhouettes with an influence of native presence,” she explains.
The designer was recently inducted into the new Couture Hall of Fame by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) for her tireless work with the indigenous crafts and textiles. “It has been an enriching journey but a tough call because there were no parameters and nobody knew such workmanship was alive, not even me.
Reviving the Indian textiles has contributed the most to my creative instincts and safeguarding of our age-old traditions.
It gives me immense joy to know that the FDCI is now working towards the recognition of our handloom sector and has created a platform for Indian designers and their talented artisans to showcase their art.”