Ritu Kumar, India's first woman fashion designer, recently archived her entire collection in a book for the younger generation of designers to refer to. CS chats her up:

WHO: Ritu Kumar
WHAT: Talking about her love for Indian designs



Down memory ramp
I was the first designer to promote the boutique culture in India. I also remember holding the first Indian fashion show at the Park Hotel in Kolkata. We didn't have professional models, and I just requested my friends to showcase my clothes. There were long breaks for lunch, tea and coffee so that they could change and get ready for the next round. Today, everything happens in five minutes. Right from Shyamoli Verma, India's first supermodel to Sushmita (Sen) and Lara (Dutta), I have seen the industry grow at every stage.

Indian clothes are the best
Since ancient times, traders would source textiles from India. Our designs have been appreciated from time immemorial. The beauty of Indian motifs is that they can be set on different outfits; you can have a pattern on a shirt or a sari. Indian clothes can also be customised easily. I worked at creating clothes with western silhouettes but with Indian weaving or embroidery. This generates universal appeal and also preserves our arts.
u00a0
And unlike many other nations, we have retained our indigenous designs, which is indeed commendable.

Clouds loom over handloom
The handloom industry is in a truly bad state because of the competition from the powerloom sector. People prefer to buy clothes made in power looms, especially saris as they are much cheaper. Buying them seems more practical. But we need to preserve the handloom sector; it is a part of our culture.

My style statement
I like to mix and match my outfits. Handloom fabrics are my favourite. I also like Benarasi blends. Whatever I wear, a part of it has to be Indian. And I love accessories as much as I love textiles.

Designs on others
I am not possessive about my designs and that's why I decided to archive them. I want young designers to learn and get inspired from the designs on display. This will not only promote talent but also help craftsman in India. Losing our textile artisans is like losing a part of our heritage.