Ritu Kumar is an Indian fashion designer. She is one of the most renowned fashion designers in India and has been serving the Indian fashion industry for over 40 years.
Wiki/Biography
Ritu Kumar was born on Saturday, November 11, 1944 (75 years old in 2019) in Amritsar, Punjab. Her star sign is Scorpio. She attended school at Loreto Convent in Shimla and later went to Lady Irwin College in New Delhi for her degree. Ritu then won a scholarship to Briarcliff College in New York, where she studied art history. Thereafter, she joined the Ashutosh Museum of Indian Art (then part of the University of Calcutta) to study museology.
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 2″
Hair color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Family and caste
Parents and siblings
Ritu Kumar was born into a Hindu family. Not much is known about her parents and siblings.
Husband and children
While studying at Lady Irwin College, Ritu fell in love with Shashi Kumar. They were married after dating for a few years. They have two sons, Amrish Kumar (CEO of fashion brand Ritu Kumar) and Ashvin Kumar (writer and film producer).
Ritu Kumar and her husband
Ritu Kumar and her son Amrish Kumar
Ritu Kumar’s son Ashwin Kumar
Profession
Ritu Kumar started her career as a fashion designer in 1969. She started designing clothes using two small tables and hand printing techniques in a small town in Kolkata.
Ritu Kumar’s career start
Initially, she designed evening wear and Indian bridal wear, eventually carving out a niche in the international market.
Ritu Kumar models for her first fashion show
After becoming a successful entrepreneur, Ritu started expanding her business in India and abroad. Besides owning several branches in the country, her company also opened many stores in countries like New York, Paris and London. The London branch closed in 1999 after running successfully for about three years. In the 90s, her company’s annual turnover rose to Rs 1,000 crore, which was higher than many other fashion stores in India at that time.
Ritu Kumar with a weaver in Benares
In 2002, Indian-Canadian director Deepa Mehta invited her to design costumes for the Canadian film Bollywood Hollywood. She then launched her own sub-brand “LABEL” in collaboration with her son Amrish Kumar.
In the same year, she launched the perfume ‘Tree of Life’. She also designed the costumes for the film ‘Kashmir Has No Fathers’.
Costumes for Fatherless Kashmir designed by Ritu Kumar
Awards
- NIFT Lifetime Achievement Award
- Kingfisher Group Lifetime Achievement Award
- PHDCC Outstanding Women Entrepreneur Award
- The French government awarded her the “Chevalier of Arts and Letters” in recognition of her contribution to Indian textile crafts and traditional techniques.
- Kingfisher Fashion Fantasia Lifetime Achievement Award (2000)
- Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award
Ritu Kumar Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award
- Padma Shri Award (2013)
Ritu Kumar receives Padma Shri Award
- Hindustan Times Delhi Most Stylish Award (2015)
Favorite things
- Food: Chole Bhature, Pav Bhaji
- Travel destination: New York
Facts/Trivia
- Her hobbies include reading and traveling.
- She is one of the top fashion designers in India.
- Ritu Kumar was born into a middle-class family.
- Her parents broke the age-old taboo that girls should not receive adequate education and became widespread advocates for education for girls in India.
- Ritu’s background in art history and museology inspired her to start a clothing line and clothing ensemble business.
- Ritu Kumar was the first person to introduce boutique culture to India. She started her own boutique under the brand name “RITU”.
- In October 1999, Ritu published a book titled “Royal Costumes and Textiles of India” based on the history of Indian art, design and textiles.
Ritu Kumar’s book “Royal Dress and Textiles of India”
- Kumar’s designs are mainly based on traditional printing and weaving techniques. She prefers to use natural fabrics.
- The only thing that makes her brand unique is her wisdom and unique take on ethnic wear.
- Kumar designed the wedding outfit for Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan.
Ritu Kumar designed Kareena Kapoor Khan’s wedding dress
- Ritu frequently designs outfits for contestants in Indian beauty pageants such as Miss Universe, Miss Asia Pacific and Miss India.
- She has designed some of the greatest masterpieces for the late Princess Diana.
- When asked in an interview about designing costumes for Bollywood films, Kumar replied,
Given the current state of Bollywood, I don’t think I have the time or patience to do such things.”
- Kumar owns about 35 high-end fashion stores in more than 14 cities in India.
Ritu Kumar opens first store at Warden Road in Mumbai
- Her son Ashwin Kumar is an Oscar-nominated director.
- In 2019, her website, ritukumar.com, attracted 1,658,109 visitors in a year.
- Ritu launched a video campaign in Kolkata called ‘Beautiful Hands’, encouraging people to buy clothing and accessories made by local artisans.
- As of now (2020), Ritu runs three fashion brands, namely, ‘Ritu Kumar’, ‘Ri’, and ‘LABEL Ritu Kumar’.
- Ritu is one of the founding members of the All India Artisans and Handicraftsmen Welfare Association (AIACA).
- Kumar is credited with reviving Zardozi, an art that flourished greatly during the Mughal period.
- Her bridal collection mainly features Zari, zardozi and other embroidery work using precious metals.
- Ritu is affectionately called the “Queen of Haute Couture” by her admirers.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education