New Delhi, July 28: Ritu Kumar unveiled her collection “Threads of Time: Reimagined” at the India Couture Week with actor Bhumi Pednekar turning the muse for the fashion designer.
The 80-year-old designer is often hailed for bringing traditional Indian craftmanship to the forefront through her designs.
“Today, we are a really strong contender for the world of fashion and crafts. In most other countries, this is limited to a museum, here we are celebrating the living craftsmanship,” the designer said in a press conference post her showcase.
“Threads of Time: Reimagined” featured bridal wear, and Indian wear alongside fusion outfits. The models dazzled in signature gold embroidery. The show featured a lot of reds, the colour deeply associated with Indian bridal wear as well as many different colours prominent in Indian wardrobes like fuchsia, baby blue, yellows and more shades of mauve.
The clothes ranged from modern silhouettes to loose and comfortable clothing displaying the wearability of Kumar’s collection. The models wore minimal accessories. The music accompanying their walk also symbolised the embrace between the Indian tradition and the new modern with tracks like “Aik Alif” by Saeen Zahoor, “Beat Goes On” and “Christine” playing as models sashayed down the ramp.
Pednekar walked the ramp to the tunes of sufi song “Chhap Tilak Sab Chhini Re” in a golden lehenga. The intricate gold embroidery took centre stage as the actor wore emerald studs and a bold lipstick to present the modern bride. Her dupatta was replaced with a long cape that trailed behind.
“It’s beautiful , it’s rich, it’s comfortable and it’s just timeless. That’s pretty much what my aesthetic is,” Pednekar said describing her outfit.
“The way I have been involved, my journey, my relationship with fashion is something that’s very special to me. It’s my form of self expression. My choices give me a lot of strength and courage. They make me feel very brave. It gives me the opportunity to question the status quo through my fashion choices and that’s one of the biggest reasons I resonate with the brand so much,” she added.
Kumar, who was accompanied by her son Amrish Kumar, CEO of Ritu Kumar label, said she prefers coming up with a collection that has depth than do something that just fast fashion.
“I think Indian textiles have never been bracketed into just bridal. We are a country which has clothed the world with many different varieties of clothes. Part of the reason is that we must contemporise it for tomorrow’s world and today’s world. Bridal is a part of it but it is not the only part of it. Lot of this credit goes to the younger designers,” she added.
The prestigious fashion gala, presented by Hyundai India in association with Reliance Brands, will run till July 30. (PTI)
