The Third Path by Ritika Mirchandani offers a fresh perspective on modern Indian couture. This collection features unusual combinations like belted jackets with lehenga-shararas and pre-pleated saris with exquisite cutwork and intricate embroidery. There is an emphasis on techniques like bugle work, where long, tubular glass beads are sewn onto fabric to create intricate, decorative designs and add texture to clothing, and zari where metallic threads are used to accentuate each garment. The designs exude softness and power. There is also a special bridal edit which features carefully crafted pieces.
We talk to Ritika to get to into the details of the collection:
What inspired the title The Third Path and how does it reflect the core message of the collection?
The title came from a personal realisation about how I navigate my creative process. I’ve always felt caught between honouring our incredible crafts and contemporary life. But then I realised there’s actually a third option—you don’t have to choose between tradition and modernity—there is space for both. The Third Path is about letting contradictions coexist deliberately. It’s like having a conversation between a 400-year-old zari technique and a razor-sharp contemporary silhouette, where both get to speak their truth without compromise. The collection doesn’t try to blend these elements into something comfortable; instead, it lets them clash, creating something that feels urgent and present while being deeply rooted.
Your signature embroideries like bugle work, aari, pita, zari, kashida, and kasab are deeply rooted in heritage. How do you reimagine these techniques to suit a modern aesthetic?
I don’t believe in softening these techniques or making them more “palatable” for contemporary tastes. Each one has its own distinct voice —zari glows, aari whispers, kashida sings, kasab resists, pita sculptures. What I do is let each technique remain completely true to itself, but I place them in unexpected contexts. So you might see traditional kashida work on a structured jacket, or bugle work creating geometric patterns that reference Persian architecture but feel completely modern. Respect is the key. I’m not trying to update these crafts. I’m simply giving them new stages to perform, and be a party of new conversations.
The combination of belted jackets with lehenga-shararas is unique. What was the thought process?
This combination really embodies what The Third Path is about: taking elements that shouldn’t theoretically work together and creating something powerful from that tension. The belted jacket brings Western structure and authority—it’s sharp, architectural. But pair it with the fluid grace of a lehenga-sharara. I was thinking about modern women who move between boardrooms and family gatherings, who need clothes that can hold complexity. You find tailored structure mixing with the cultural grounding of traditional draping. It’s not fusion in the usual sense, but is more like a dialogue between two strong voices.
Could you talk about the significance of using pre-pleated shimmer saris and embroidered corsets in this collection?
It is all about ease without sacrificing elegance. Traditional sari draping is beautiful, but it requires time and skill that many women today simply don’t have. These pieces give you that fluid, graceful silhouette instantly.
The embroidered corsets are more provocative—they take the most structured piece of Western fashion and make it conversation with our embroidery traditions.
Price for the couture pieces starts at Rs 1,85,000; the bridal pieces start around Rs 3,50,000.
Available in stores and online.
—manuvipin@newindianexpress.com
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