Fine-tuned

And each new place Ritu travels to offers a new experience, the exposure in turn helping her churn out novel ideas, evolve different concepts and consequently creations for the Indian woman. So hasn’t she thought of moving bag, baggage and designing book to the tinsel town of Mumbai, with all the scope of work its glitterati can offer? “I do have a store in Mumbai, but Delhi’s where the hub of fashion is,” avers this Delhiite.

Designing for all age-groups, for different lifestyles, Ritu is also the personal designer for some of the elite. “Designing for specific people is a lot of fun, but it also has its own constraints. You have to keep in mind the personality and the occasion. Every person has his or her own look, and it is up to the designer to bring that out.”

And as she looks around her, she observes that one can spot many well-dressed people these days. At the Pune Festival, she remembers Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in his elegant silk kurta-pyjama and Uma Gajapathy Raju with her signature plain saris. “Almost everybody takes care to dress up, paying careful attention to the colour they wear, the way they are shod. But then, you should be able to carry off what you wear; some people can get away with wearing jeans at a formal do!”

That’s got to do with style, which Ritu believes is intrinsic to the individual. Whereas the designer creates fashion and trends, depending upon the look of the day. “But no longer are the diktats of fashion the final word in dressing,” she adds a word of pragmatism.

Talking about the fashion scene at home, she is enthusiasm personified. Indian fashion today has come of age, she is convinced, yet there is a long way to go. Especially as there are international standards to compete with. “But we are going strong, setting and inspiring trends abroad. Not just in the line of apparel, but also as far as other practices like henna, body-piercing are concerned. You can trace Indian touches in the works of many foreign designers – like Lasage and his use of embroidery,” she elaborates.

But exposure to the Western fashion industry brings in tow its share of frustration, “as it highlights the low standard of professionalism here. The problem is usually with the labour one employs – they may not adhere to deadlines or maintain cleanliness. Of course, it also goads you to pull up your socks,” she points out.

“What one cannot overlook is the treasure trove that India is – of colour, of fabric, of design,” she gushes, and no wonder then that she loves doing bridal wear the most. “The significance of the wedding day makes it all the more special.” Just as her creations make the day special for all those attired in them.