An iconic figure in the Indian Fashion Industry, Ritu Kumar needs no introduction. Popular for her Indian haute couture, Ritu Kumar is one of the highly esteemed fashion designers worldwide. A native of Delhi, Ritu Kumar was born on November 11, 1944 in Amritsar.
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A graduate from the Lady Irwin College, Ritu Kumar completed her higher studies in the year 1966 from Briarcliff College, New York. The leading fashion designer commenced her journey in a small village near Kolkata with hand block printers and just two tablets. This humble beginning witnessed stupendous progress by producing riveting designs in fabrics like silk, cotton, georgette and leather.
Ritu Kumar is known for her pioneering designs that blend together the traditional exquisiteness with the suave style of modern times. Her ethnic designs revitalize the time-honored craft and skills that that lend a flamboyant flair to her creations. Ritu Kumar has proved that handmade garments and products are not only commercially profitable but also hold considerable style appeal.
Ritu Kumar introduced the popular ‘boutique’ culture through her well known brand ‘Ritu’ that has earned international fame over the years. In the year 2002, Ritu’s son Amrish joined her brand and launched another brand called Ritu Kumar, LABEL. The brand LABEL converts the remarkable traditional designs into more glamorous outfits keeping in mind the current international fashion scenario. Aimed at the young and independent Indian women, the brand LABEL focuses on a contemporary and global lifestyle. Ritu Kumar also launched ‘The Tree of Life’, a fragrance under her brand Ritu. Ritu Kumar has a number of outlets in India that feature an array of products ranging from conventional to contemporary.
Ritu Kumar turned into an author with her book titled "Costumes and Textiles of Royal India" published in the year 1999. A comprehensive literature about the textile art and craft over centuries with special focus on the royal designs, "Costumes and Textiles of Royal India" has become a reference book in India.
Though Ritu Kumar began with traditional designs, she has induced a global touch to her creations to add to their versatility and glamour. Ritu also specializes in indo-western wear that has attracted the attention of many celebrities including late Princess Diana and Jemima Khan. Ritu Kumar has designed costumes for a few movies and former Miss India winners and actresses like Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen, Lara Dutta, Priyanka Chopra, Diya Mirza, Diana Hayden, Celina Jaitley, Tanushree Dutta and Neha Dhupia.
Ritu Kumar’s designs have also been featured in the international beauty pageants like Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Asia Pacific. Ritu has designed swimwear, eveningwear, traditional Indian wear, casual wear and formal evening gowns for the Indian representatives at the international beauty contests. In fact, Ritu’s creations have received a number of awards at these contests, namely the Most Outstanding Evening Gown and the Best National Costume.
Ritu Kumar received the Lifetime Achievement Award in the year 1998 as an honor by the National Institute of Fashion Technology. The Chamber of Commerce honored her with the Outstanding Women Entrepreneur Award in the same year. Ritu earned another Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed on her by the Kingfisher group of industries.
Ritu Kumar has successfully bridged the gap between the conventional and contemporary styles while bringing along a unique innovativeness to keep in sync with the changing times. Ritu has earned immense reverence for her and has become the idol of many aspiring fashion designers.
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