Ri. Ritu Kumar

| via @ritu.ritukumar The story of fabric and innovation is also a story of politics and power. One of the most fascinating parts of my study of fabric has been unwinding these threads of connection. Who would think that the ubiquitous block-printed cottons that abound in Indian summers even today are the result of a pragmatically-maintained period of peace in 17th to early 19th century Jaipur?The ancient kingdom of Amber was ruled by the Kachchawahas, a warrior clan which ruled for six centuries.Their magnificent complexes of palaces and battlements were designed to be impregnable to the enemy. Even as they warred with the Marathas and other Rajput clans, their battles were fought outside their own domain. Later, in the face of a formidable enemy in the form of Akbar, Raja Bharmal made a historic alliance to strategically protect his domain and continue his ancestral line by marrying his daughter, Jodha Bai, to Akbar.This strategic peace-keeping continued into the 19th century, when Jaipur had established strong links with the British.Even under the Treaty of Subsidiary Alliance, the Maharaja at the time developed a close rapport with the British resident and this led to further technological innovations from the West being brought to Jaipuri karkhanas.The textile crafts of the region thus became increasingly sophisticated and with the assured patronage of a maharaja, the karkhanas were able to refine their designs and techniques. Along with migrations of artist communities to Rajasthan because of political upheaval in other regions, this made for a time of great innovation in textile-production.Block-printing is one such example.It’s the practice of printing cloth with wooden blocks which often have floral or animal motifs carved into them. Dipped in natural dyes, artisans print the wooden blocks onto cloth with remarkable precision. Passed along for generations, today’s block printers are descended from 17th or 18th century artisans who practised the same technique. Even the patterns are reminiscent of block printing in previous centuries #RKArchives

Anjali Merchant in custom Ritu Kumar Couture for Anant & Radhika’s wedding The JAYA LEHENGA - A golden-yellow satin Lehenga is silk screen printed by craftsmen on the bank of the Hooghly river. It is then gold embroidered using traditional aari, tikki and zardozdi that Ritu Kumar is renowned for. The lehenga includes alternating panels with small, spotted chintz motifs, adding a subtle balance to the overall design.The set is paired with the ‘Daya’ dupatta in a vibrant saffron-orange, with detailed zardozi, and the ‘Janet’ blouse. #RituKumarCouture #AnjaliMerchant

Our collection is a harmonious blend of introspection and modernity, drawing inspiration from the past. It pays tribute to the timeless pursuits of craftsmanship, couture, and art.We respect age-old traditions while infusing a fresh perspective into this ever-evolving dialogue. Our design journey has led us through a rich array of techniques, including Bandhini, Kalamkari, Floral Kashidakari, and the intricate Gota embroidery. Each ensemble is a living testament to India’s opulent heritage, displaying a vibrant palette, nature-inspired intricacies, and meticulously handcrafted motifs. #ritukumarcouture

Kajal Agarwal in Ritu Kumar Couture for Radhika and Anant’s wedding. The Zergul Lehenga, crafted from silk and velvet in earthy tones, highlights intricate floral and paisley motifs. This piece is embellished with hand embroidery techniques, including ari, tikki, zardozi, and thread work.Styling- @shreejarajgopal #ritukumarcouture #anantradhikawedding #kajalagarwal

Sonam Bajwa in Ritu Kumar Couture for Radhika and Anant’s Sangeet.The Satnam lehenga tells a story through the exquisite art of Zari-Ka-Kaam, intricately woven into rich Indian textiles. The embroidery, draws inspiration from the Persian era of art and architecture, showcasing intricate brocades, faarishis, and symmetrically balanced jaalis. Complementing the lehenga, the dupatta is highlighted with delicate ari and tikki embroidery. #ritukumarcouture #sonambajwa

| Our collection is a harmonious blend of introspection and modernity, drawing inspiration from the past. It pays tribute to the timeless pursuits of craftsmanship, couture, and art.We respect age-old traditions while infusing a fresh perspective into this ever-evolving dialogue. Our design journey has led us through a rich array of techniques, including Bandhini, Kalamkari, Floral Kashidakari, and the intricate Gota embroidery. Each ensemble is a living testament to India’s opulent heritage, displaying a vibrant palette, nature-inspired intricacies, and meticulously handcrafted motifs. #behindthescenes #ritukumarcouture

Actress @bhumipednekar seen in Ritu Kumar Couture Atima Dress. Atima dress features a layering of techniques, including a kashmiri motif, handblock printing and some very fine aari work. It’s in the colour gheru, traditionaly derived from plant dyes. The colour is recreated to match the traditonal plant based hue. The panel is printed in design from a jamawar shawl with detailing on the neck. The entire piece features fine gold thread work that gives it a bit of a shine. The metallic look is very reminiscent of our older work.. #ritukumarcouture #bhumipednekar

This is the story of how @ritu.ritukumar came to discover what is now known as ZardoziBy the 70s, after l’d begun work with hand-block printers in Serampore, I was looking to embroider my hand-block printed saris with a bit of glitter for Diwali. Serendipitously, I found, in Ranihaati a village across the Ganges, highly gifted craftspeople who were the repository of the craft of embroidery. The work they were doing then was crude and paid by weight. It wasted their inherent skills. So I attempted a revival of their craft. Despite trying my hardest, I could not find the genesis of their original work apart from oral references to Bengali nawabs and their clothing. There were no museums or books that enabled one to see vintage costumes with embroidery, work on styles, or ensembles.Fortunately, I found a collection at The Victoria and Albert Museum in London which came from the Indian installation at the Great Exhibition of 1851. With access to their archives, I could study photographs of royal costumes with gold and silver embroidery and embroidered quilts from Bengal. With these as a source, as a team, we began to replicate them in Ranihaati.Initially, it was difficult to replace the sophistication of the pure gold and silver threads with look-alike materials available locally. So, I went straight to the source and learnt how to replicate the aesthetics of plating yarns with a gold wash in Varanasi. With this and the inherent skills of the embroiderers, like magic, a vast vocabulary of stitches evolved. The collection made with these embroideries worked so well in our small retail outlets in Calcutta, Delhi, and later Bombay, that we could not meet the demand.This process culminated in the 80s when an exhibition of my revival efforts was mounted at the prestigious Lalit Kala Art Gallery in New Delhi. There was no generic name in India at the time for this craft, and the Persian name ZAR, meaning gold, came in handy. I coined the word and named the exhibition ZARDOZI: The Art of Gold. After, it travelled the world as part of The Festivals of India show as India’s prime craft. Today, zardozi embroidery has become the backbone of indigenous bridal fashion