Label Ritu Kumar’s Summer Atelier 2025 blends heritage craft with modern glamour
What draws customers to Ritu Kumar’s collection—beyond traditional textiles, native crafts, distinctive patchwork, and a vibrant blend of prints and patterns—is the sense of a wandering, adventurous spirit. This design ideology has served in Label Ritu Kumar’ Summer Atelier 2025 too, a collection that captures the vibrant pulse of summer in the city. Brimming with colour, movement, and effortless charm, the collection channels the season’s spirit through bold silhouettes and striking details.
Ritu Kumar introduces next-generation denim with a high-fashion edge
Voluminous shapes, asymmetrical lines, and playful proportions redefine contemporary femininity. Florals bloom across breezy fabrics, while bows, lacing, and fluttering ruffles bring softness and spontaneity to life. The collection also introduces next-generation denim and elevated staples, offering a fresh take on off-duty dressing.
Designed to move seamlessly from city evenings to coastal escapes, Summer Atelier 2025 is a fluid wardrobe of light-wearing pieces that blend ease with expression, perfectly tuned to the rhythm of modern life. Divya Ahluwalia, head designer, Label Ritu Kumar, gives us a low-down on the collection:
What was the primary inspiration behind the Summer Atelier 2025 collection?
The collection finds its muse in the hallowed world of couture ateliers, those enchanting spaces brimming with artistry, meticulous precision, and a timeless legacy. It’s a profound celebration of craftsmanship, where cherished tradition gracefully meets daring innovation, and raw creativity takes exquisite form in the skilled hands of master artisans. Summer Atelier pays heartfelt homage to that enduring spirit, making it feel both timeless yet exhilaratingly forward-thinking.
How does this collection reflect the essence of “summer in the city”?
There’s a certain, undeniable elegance that accompanies city summers, the captivating contrast of tailored structure meeting effortless ease. This collection beautifully embraces that duality, seamlessly blending contemporary silhouettes with breezy, flowing elements. It perfectly captures the vibrant pulse of the city at its most alive, teeming with dynamic movement, a symphony of colour, and a quiet, sophisticated charm.
Is there a cultural story being told through this collection?
Very much so. While the aesthetic leans boldly modern with its clean lines and sharp forms, the very heart of the collection is deeply rooted in traditional couture techniques. It’s a subtle yet powerful dialogue between cherished heritage and a fresh modernity, where classic craftsmanship discovers a vibrant new voice.
You’ve introduced next-generation denim. How does this material innovation enhance the collection?
Denim in this collection is utterly transformed. No longer merely utilitarian, it becomes a canvas for expressive and elevated design. With sculptural forms, intriguing heat-set pleats, intricate denim-on-denim applique, and daring textural experimentation, it emerges as a statement of bold innovation. It profoundly redefines how denim can be worn and perceived, brilliantly merging everyday functionality with the heights of high fashion.
What guided the choice of fabrics, colours, and prints?
The design direction was entirely led by the collection‘s evocative mood—modern yet profoundly grounded. Fabrics were meticulously chosen to achieve a perfect balance between fluidity and defined form, while colours gracefully shift between sleek urban tones and soft, sun-washed shades. Prints are used with thoughtful precision, acting as subtle yet impactful accents that enhance rather than overpower the inherent beauty of each piece.
The line transitions from city evenings to coastal escapes. How did versatility shape the designs?
The pieces are thoughtfully designed to glide between diverse environments. Structured silhouettes flow with an innate ease, and curated tones transition from dusk in the city to dawn by the sea. It’s a beautifully crafted wardrobe made for spontaneous moments and an enduring, everyday elegance.
How does the brand balance heritage craft with innovation in this collection?
Our collection, Summer Atelier 2025, stands as a beautiful meeting point between the past and the present. While the designs feel undeniably fresh and relevant, they are brought to life using age-old techniques and exquisite hand-finished details. That blend of innovation with cultural depth creates garments that feel both deeply meaningful and refreshingly modern.
Price starts at Rs 2,900.Available online.
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