The pride of India

Ritu Kumar is a person

who needs no introduction
in fact her work speaks out
for themselves. A little girl
from
Amritsar
who
dreamed to be successful
completed
her
basic
academy in Amritsar, as
well as studied various
things from various parts of
her motherland. With the
ability
of
minute
observation, managed to
gain interest in various
artistic forms of India.

Company History
Mrs. Kumar became the first woman to
introduce the boutique culture in India
under the brand name Ritu.
Her work is constantly evolving within an
aesthetic which is sophisticated both in the
eastern and western sense
Brand Ritu Kumar has been retailing in
Europe and India since 1970s.
She has fashion forward sub brand called
LABEL. and Ritu Kumar.
In April 2002 shelaunched a fragrance
name
"the tree of life

Ritu began with hand block printers and two

tables in a small village near Calcutta, and
in the last 28 years, Ritus team of
dedicated workers have progressed to
produce some of the countrys most
exquisite garments and accessories in
cotton, silk and leather.
These ranges embrace both traditional
textile crafts and the lineage of Indian
design. Over the centuries, traditional
skills that had been lost have been
revitalized and this has enabled the
craftsmen to continue working in their own
environment.

 Ritu Kumars forte is traditional Indian clothes that draw

heavily on the textile and embroidery heritage of India and
remains classics of their kind. But she evolved another
style for European buyer. Her Indo-West fusion wear has all
the trappings of block prints, embroidery and craft inputs
on a western style.
Ritu has been designing the wardrobes comprising swimwear, evening wear, traditional Indian wear, casual wear,
formal evening gowns; of the winning three Miss Indias, for
their participation in the International beauty pageants
(Miss Universe, Miss World & Miss Asia pacific respectively).
At least six of these, to mention a few; Manpreet Brar,
Ruchi Malhotra, Rani Jeyraj and recently Lara Dutta, have
won the award for the Most Outstanding Evening Gown in
International pageants.
Ritu has opened many outlets all over India. Style icons as
late Princess Diana have patronized her outfits. Ritu Kumar
also launched her book Costumes and Textiles of Royal
India which is published by Christies, London.

Personal Data:
Born in Amritsar, November 11, 1944
Citizenship: INDIAN
Married, Two children.

Education:
Post Graduate Diploma in Museology, 1967, Ashutosh
Museum, CalcuttaAssociate in Arts, 1966, Briarcliff College,
Westchester County, NY, USA
Bachelor of Education. 1965, Lady Irwin College, New Delhi
Bachelor of Science in Home Economics, 1964, Lady Irwin
College, New
Delhi
Intermediate in Science, 1960, Government College,
Amritsar
Matriculation, 1958, Sacred Heart Convent, Amritsar

Professional Experience:
Designer of Textiles and Garments

R & D in Design:
Leather
ready-mades
and
accessories
using
traditional techniques The collection Karabagh
launched in 1994.
Development of handloom weaving to suit ready to
wear needs, in Maheshwar, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa
and Tamil Nadu.
Revival of tie/dye in selected areas in Gujarat.
Revival and change of end use of vegetable
printing/painting and dyeing techniques in Andhra
Pradesh.
Revival and change in end use of the printing
techniques of Tanjore.
Research into traditional design motifs to translate
them from traditional uses to leather and textiles.
Development of a specialized printing unit at
Balabhgarh employing modern techniques of screenprinting.

Associations
Membership of Governing / Executive bodies :
All India Handloom Board at the Ministry of Textiles.
Delhi Crafts Council, Delhi Chapter
Divyachhaya Save a Child Trust, Calcutta / Delhi

Board of Governors :
National Institute of Fashion Technology

Collections
I believe in going deep into the roots
of every design to find out its relevance
in the present context. I also try and
visualize whether a woman
would look elegant in my designs. Its a
lot of hard work. But then this is a very
competitive field and unless you put in
that extra effort you will tag far
behind. Ritu Kumar First City, Aug99

An Interview
Ritu KumarRitu Kumar (Began the boutique
culture in India)
Mentors: Pupul Jayakar, Kamala Devi
Chattopadhyay
Ambitions in life: To be able to continue the
research and revival work that has been
started in the craft areas.
Challenges in the fields: To be constantly
innovative and
understand the needs of a new generation

High point in career: The completion of my

book The Costumes and Textiles of Royal
India and the tableau The Tree Of Life, both of
which reflected the textile richness of this
country.
Advise to aspirants: There are no shortcuts
in any profession. If the job is worth doing, it
will take a lot of sweat and endeavor. Be
prepared to not create genius, and hope
something will evolve at the end.

Ritu Kumar An
Inspiration
Ritu Kumar is indeed an
inspiration to me and
many
other
young
aspiring designers. Her
research
and
work
motivates
me
to
experiment and explore
various
traditional
art
works of my motherland
which surely stands apart
from the rest. Ritu Kumar
is one of the Indian
Designer who represents