Of Muse And Artist

The new collection by the House of Ritu Kumar is about the hands that create, and Aditi Rao Hydari has a special role to play.

- Mitali Goyal

Led by visionary designer and pioneer of handcrafted garments, Ritu Kumar, the brand has been seamlessly fusing tradition with modernity. With a palette of fresh colours and a contemporary vibe, its new collection documents a journey from Bengal to Maharashtra. It is aptly named Beautiful Hands. But there is a twist in the tale. Aditi Rao Hydari has played the muse. We chatted with the actor and Amrish Kumar, CEO at Ritu Kumar to get a peek into the design story.

How did the collaboration come about?

Aditi: Very organically actually. I have spent a lot of time at Ritu Kumar’s house while growing up, who I call maasi. To a young me, her home was nothing short of a beautiful museum. In my opinion, Ritu maasi had a revival instinct much before it became cool for our generation. Amrish: The label is evolving and so is a Ritu Kumar woman. She possesses an innate sense of self, is strong, resilient while also being sophisticated, refined and stylish. She is earthy and has an effortless, understated grace about her. Aditi embodies the Ritu Kumar woman very naturally. She is a personification of all these qualities.

Aditi said that she practically grew up at your place. How did the friendship between the two of you grow?