The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

CULTURE

GLITZ & GLAMOUR
Ritu Kumar traces decades in world of colour & design
Smriti Kak

WHAT began on a really small platform today has spanned across continents and is a name to reckon with in the world of fashion. Ritu Kumar has woven the fabric of Indian textiles like a piece of tapestry. And today after 40 years of designing she is celebrating her years in the world of colour and design.

Fashion diva Ritu Kumar.

She is also credited to have put India on the map of world fashion with her creations. Displaying her genius, beauty queens representing India in the international contests have won acclaim and awards for costumes designed by her, which bore the aesthetic stamp of the country.

Ritu made her foray in to the colourful world of fashion in the early 60s when her florist aunt allowed her to use the space in her shop to display her clothes. From here the lady with an eye for colour and design opened a small boutique near the railway crossing in Defence Colony.

Today, with nearly five decades of work behind her, it is time for retrospection. The Central Cottage Industry Emporium will showcase Ritu’s work. An exhibition and sale of her clothes from the earlier times till date is on till January 15.

Tracing her line of work from the time when she catered to the hippie style gurus who dressed in leathers and garments with latches to when she moved on to the mystical Bengal, this exhibition brings forward her many facets.

Whether it was her study of the motifs and techniques of various schools of design like Bengal, Jaipur, Farukhabad and Machillipatanam, which reflected in her work, or when she focussed attention on the fine art of embroidery. Her research dwelled on varied styles and techniques, including the tie and dye style of Bhuj and the Shanti Niketan technique of painting on leather.

Today we see her initials embossed on not only clothes but also bags, scarves and other home furnishings. Her clients still swear by her creations and her creations speak volumes about her creativity.

Needless to say that blessed with such powers of creativity Ritu is here to stay for the next 30 years.

Tons of Toons

It was a dream date for the kiddies at The Taj Palace Hotel. Popeye and Olive were there and so were a host of others.

To woo those who matter the most to them, Cartoon Network organised this splendid bash. And they were pretty successful because the kids had a whale of a time meeting their favourite toons and clicking pictures, which will probably be the centrepiece on the wall album.

The event was a part of an annual toon party, which promises a day of fun and frolic to the little ones and also to the not-so-little ones.

Band of Boys

Move over Backstreet Boys. Our made in India Band of Boys is here. The ubharta sitaras of the music world are the latest in-thing in the Capital’s book of what’s hot.

This Band of Boys has been declared Ubharta Sitara by MTV much before the release of their first album.

Fresh voices, fresh faces and groovy choreography. What else do you need to set the hormones pumping?

With snazzy names like Chint2, Sids and Cherokee this Band of Boys has had the privilege of being declared Ubharta Sitara by the mother of all music channels, MTV, much before the release of their first album.

The band comprises Chaitanya Bhosle, aka Chint2, who incidentally is Asha Bhosle’s grandson. A management student, Chint2, jumped into the sea of notes to follow the route his grandma took to almost 50 years ago.

A model by profession, Sudhanshu Pandey joined the group to exploit his new avatar as a singer. From a state-level badminton player to a model to an actor and now to a singer, the journey has been packed with a lot of punch and action for this six-foot-something hunk.

Siddharth Haldipur, aka Sids, waltzed into the group to set the stage on fire. Scion of the Haldipur family, who is credited to have scored the background music for over 100 films, he is set to dance to his tunes.

Graviera Mr India finalist Karan Oberoi is trained in classical music. His face can be spotted in prestigious ad campaigns like Lakme, Thums Up and Hero Honda. He dabbled in acting where he left a mark.

The fifth member of this all-male band is Sherrin Varghese, popularly known as Cherokee. He is best remembered for his three-year stint on Shekhar Suman’s Movers and Shakers as the frontman of the Rubber Band.

He has also portrayed the challenging role of Simon in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. With hordes of good looks and an impressive repertoire all that remains to be seen is how well does the desi audience dance to their tunes. Here’s wishing them luck.

Indian label sets its sights on Italy
Gaurav Choudhury

AGAINST heavy odds, an Indian label has taken the plunge to make the country’s presence felt in the world of chic at the Mecca of fashion in Florence, Italy.

Apparel manufacturing and distribution major Bharatiya International Limited (BIL) has set foot in Italy to what the Managing Director of the company, Mr Snehdeep Aggarwal, says “to change the considered opinion about India as primarily a sourcing and production location and not as a land of designers”. It is the first Indian company to have product lines designed exclusively by Italian designers at its operation base in Florence.

“One Ritu Beri is not enough to change this perception. Giorgio Armani is not only a genius designer. He represents the collective Italian psyche of fashion, fad and chic. It’s about labeling and branding. Today, a `made in India’ brand does not evoke too much of passion among designers and customers. We need to unshackle this thinking”, Mr Aggarwal said. BIL already has production and distribution facility in Florence with additional emphasis on fashion research and development. It has already made a soft penetration in the highly competitive market with its international brand ‘Monks Italia’.

In addition, new forms of leather have been developed and other materials are being researched for their commercial viability at the centre. And, apart from being a sampling, prototype making and distribution base, it also acts

as a central node for exports out of Italy to the fashion-conscious markets of France, Spain, Switzerland and Greece, he said.

“Like us more and more Indian companies should take front-end positions. This will enable unshackling the western myth about India being only a location for production and sourcing with little content in design”, he said, adding, “Our present drive for building brands is something that will bear fruit over time”.

While leather apparel is BIL’s core category, the company is already in various stages of discussions for acquiring international brands. “ We have realised that merely trading, skilful manufacturing and enhancing shareholder value are not enough for ensuring success in the times ahead. It is also brands that we create, acquire, or license that will drive the future”, Mr Aggarwal said.

Dance festival

A mega electronic dance festival was organised in the Capital last week. The event showcased the best of talents from the music world. The audience was treated to Balearic, techno, rave and jazzy electronic stuff. Organised by St Trance at Basant Lok Complex, the mood was electrifying as the hordes put on their dancing shoes. Disc jockeys and performers from various parts of the world had been flown in for this special event called ‘Namaste India’.