Fort Kochi in Kerala, Amber and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan served as museums for the line
Kerala’s Whites and Golds mundam neriyathum, the lush blue and pink hues of Amber’s walls, and the gray hues of the desert of Jaisalmer have made their way to the first Ritu Kumar Home x Atelier Ashish Shah collab. The collection of tableware, wallpapers and soft furnishings draws inspiration from both travel and India’s diversity alike.
“I am a very visual person; I travel with my eyes,” begins Ashish. [Amer and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, and Kochi in Kerala] Inspired me: The silhouettes of coconut trees and lines on the streets of Fort Kochi, the sand dunes of Jaisalmer and the camels. I caught the ‘flowiness’ of the dunes – but the color changed, and it could be underwater.”
The award-winning ‘interior architects’, whose clients include Bollywood’s Ranbir Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif and Arjun Rampal, usually custom designs for individual projects. This is the first time he has collaborated with any other label.
“Ashish is known for indigenous aesthetics and his modern interpretation of art forms,” says Amrish Kumar, director and creative director at Ritu Kumar (and son of the designer). Back in 2019. “They have created a collection that reflects the essential cultural aesthetic and mood of the three places. It is familiar and rooted while being forward-looking and clean.”
three mus
Ritu Kumar launches her first homeware line Kansa cutlery, ikat cushion covers, and table linens with Mughal prints) two years ago, bringing her history as a crafts revivalist and celebrity wardrobe to our living space. This load of nostalgia carries on in this collab as well.
However, for Ashish the brief was simple: a collection that would be “an extension of his”. [Ritu Kumar’s] language with my point of view”. After initial workshops with the seasoned designer – which served as a deep dive into her creative orientation, knowledge and, in a literal sense, her collection of textiles – she got a sense of the direction she wanted the collection to take .
The common ground for both was the shared ethos of their brands: their belief in the crafts and traditions of India. It came naturally to choose Amber, Jaisalmer and Kochi; Ashish had visited these places only in 2019 when the discussion started. The memories of what he saw and experienced there were fresh in his mind. And once the designing was done, Ritu Kumar did the editing. “The decisions on which artist to work with were all hers to integrate with which products – which fabrics – cotton, linen, velvet – are all hers,” says Shah.
Such collaborations are important. “These allow us to reimagine Indian design in a way that suits the tastes and preferences of today’s consumers while respecting our heritage,” explains Amrish. “Plus, it allows us to take our collections to a wider audience – there is something in this collection for every design appetite.”
This is not surprising, as Ashish concluded, “Once I put on my artist hat… I was the buyer and the designer!”
Priced between ₹990 and ₹22,000, Collection – with jewel tones NS Chandbagh Line, sandy color desert line, And NS succulent Cochin Rekha, the tip of its cap with banana leaves And Nalukettu architecture – Available @ritukumar.com, and at select stores across India.
,