The Indian Queen of Fashion
Padmashri Ritu Kumar is one of India’s finest designers. Her in depth knowledge of ancient Indian crafts and traditional attire has been widely acclaimed both at home and abroad. Her creations are influenced to a great extent by the regal elegance of the exquisitely designed costumes and robes worn by Nawabs and Maharajas of the past. She shares in common the passion and heartfelt concern of these one-time dynastic rulers who patronized and promoted the welfare and upliftment of their craftsmen and artisans.
Ritu Kumar has taken great pains to endorse the traditional weavers, dyers and spinners who have been known to spin dreams out of legendary fabrics such as Dhakai Muslins, Banarasi brocades, Kanjivaram silks and Kashmiri pashminas. The numerous accolades she has received are truly well deserved. The pioneer among Indian designers should also be credited for being the first to breathe new life into many a dying Indian art and craft , giving them a chance to survive and showcasing them on the world stage.
Her perceptiveness and inimitable technique of using traditional designs to create garments that are modern and versatile has led to concept of neo classicism in the Indian fashion industry. She has helped the Indian fashion industry to grow from strength to strength and draped celebrities and Miss India contestants alike in her sarees and lehengas that are crafted in rich fabrics such as silk, Georgette and crepe and have elaborate thread work, embellishments, and dramatic colours.
Ritu Kumar has enjoyed the privilege of fashioning outfits for the biggest and the best celebrities in India and abroad. Her fan following extends to the most stylish and famous international celebrities the Late Princess Diana being one of them. This talented and highly admired designer has several beautiful feathers in her cap including the Padma Shri Award in 2013. The fourth highest civilian award in India was bestowed on Ritu Kumar for her exceptional and distinguished service in the field of fashion, textile and craftsmanship. She was also decorated with the prestigious French Government honor of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres on the 8th of December 2008. Her creations are available from her design house under the following three brands “Ri” which is the finest bridal and couture line in India, “Ritu Kumar”, the traditional ready – to- wear brand that offers ethnic and semi-formal wear and “LABEL Ritu Kumar” which is her contemporary ready – to – wear line .
Every single outfit belonging to the Ritu kumar collection is an aesthetically crafted piece of art. Traditional zardozi embroidery and kanjivaram silks are the predominant features in the Ritu kumar bridal wear for 2017 and the designer has deftly incorporated them into her lehengas, sarees and suits. The outfits are versatile, comfortable and modern and yet have a traditional flavour in them because Ritu Kumar knows exactly how to cater to modern sensibilities. She has created a mind – boggling range of superbly styled lehengas that are a perfect blend of the old and the new. The gorgeous sarees in the Ritu Kumar latest collection are available in a wide range of fabrics such as net, chiffon, lace and georgette and the addition of lace and the gota patti work on the borders with a touch of traditional “karigari” (craftsmanship) and embroidery adds to the grace and sophistication of the nine yard drape.
In addition to the classic Ritu kumar bridal wear a breathtaking line of the latest bridal and couture dresses in effervescent colours , set minds and hearts ablaze at the Middle East’s leading wedding and lifestyle show, Bride Dubai, this year. This party wear line from the Ritu Kumar bridal wear collection , displayed at the Dubai extravaganza is an extraordinary array of period charm combined with a vivacious and contemporary spirit. It is a fabulous selection of well-designed and ageless attire that are an ideal blend of playfulness and pleasure but are classy at the same time.
The Ritu Kumar latest collection is a spellbinding combination of bright prints ,stylish cuts and embellishments which gratify the tastes of women from all walks of life . Her garments make women feel good about themselves regardless of the occasion. The Ritu Kumar bridal wear collection includes a number of styles in the formal evening-wear range. Embellished crop tops, long dresses, classic skirts, and midis in warm winter shades of the traditional black ivory and hot pinks.
Ritu Kumar Bridal Wear
The Lehenga designs by Ritu Kumar are an exemplary display of the exquisite craftsmanship . The veteran designer has created a unique range of innovative traditional Indian bridal wear in a wide range of designs and shades. She has added an ingenious twist to her elegantly embroidered and heavily embellished lehenga by pairing it with a modern crop top , traditional blouse or a gorgeously crafted dupatta for a spectacular effect.
Ritu Kumar bridal wear is beautifully crafted with traditional Indian embroidery. She set off the process of reviving the Indian handloom industry and acquainted the international haute couture industry with it. She was the first to introduce block printing techniques in Ritu kumar sarees and used silks from the North East , Matka silk and hand woven Bhagalpur silk as fabric for her sarees. As recently as 2015 she launched the Banaras Revival Project in Varanasi, the first batch of eleven sarees and garments from this project took two years to produce and have just arrived at her stores.
Every Indian woman , celebrity , film star or otherwise , nurses the dream of owning a Ritu Kumar saree but to even to witness them being displayed is an overall enriching experience as they are designed out of indigenously produced fabrics . The designer uses traditional motifs, prints, and textiles to infuse magic and unfailingly produce garments that are a collector’s dream come true . She has mastered a distinctive and incomparable style of her own which enables her to create spectacular outfits each and every single time and the use of techniques such as zari, resham and zardosi work enhance their beauty.
Silver and gold thread embroidery and an ivory tint are a recurring element in the Ritu Kumar latest collection and her innovative bridal wear offers a huge collection of kurtas , cholis , sarees, frocks and lehengas .The Ritu Kumar bridal collection has outfits that are heavily embroidered with zardosi embellishments. Silk, chiffon, satin, net and velvet are the fabrics that have been used to create the ensembles. Mirror work, thread, embroidery and zari work are a prevalent feature on the lehengas. The Ritu kumar lehengas with their embroidery, embellished blouses cholis and net dupattas add the right amount of glamour to the Ritu Kumar bridal collection.
The collection also includes the novel concept of ” lehenga – sarees” which are available in fresh and youthful colours like coral and beige and made out of net they include elaborate machine and hand embroidery, along with delicate cutwork ,giving them a spectacular look. The traditional lehenga is teamed with a sari and is an extremely popular trend that is fast catching on with the young and adventurous “fashionista “. Worn with full sleeved, stitched blouses, this ensemble is perfectly suited for formal cocktail parties. A certain amount of old world charm with just the right amount of contemporary chic gives this unique ensemble an edge over the rest.
For women getting married this year the Ritu Kumar Bridal collection is made up of a stunning collection of incredibly gorgeous designs that would be a valuable addition to the trousseau.
Designed with zari embroidery, embellishments and thread work, Ritu Kumar Sarees have a characteristic touch of the designer’s brilliance that have turned her into a force to reckon with on the International haute couture scene. Work on the sarees is exclusive and unique .
Traditional lehengas, salwar kurtas in light, discreet colours like cream that have heavy golden embroidery work on them.The ubiquitous golden embroidery is also present on darker shades like magenta, purple, green and black. Zardozi is a liberally used style of embroidery in Ritu kumar lehengas. It imparts a stately look to any ensemble , particularly when it is used on rich , dark colours. Ritu Kumar has skillfully put this beautiful embroidery to good use on her lehengas which are available in orange, maroon and dark fuchsia. Nevertheless gold zardozi makes the ensemble rather heavy thus making it suitable for more formal occasions like weddings .
Shades of white and orange have been artistically integrated into Lehenga designs by Ritu Kumar, the look of these eye catching outfits is twice enhanced due to their beige and gold base. The extraordinary beauty of traditional Indian techniques like Kashida Zardozi and recovered handmade prints that date back to the 17th century are all typical elements of the Ritu Kumar collection. Clothes of quality that blend the past with the present, colours that are rich and upbeat give the ensembles a regal and highly sophisticated look.