Karu Research Is Putting The Spotlight On Indian Craft
Unveiling his A/W 23 collection, the LVMH Prize semi-finalist tells us about his network of artisans and why he wants to build India’s next big fashion house.
Unveiling his A/W 23 collection, the LVMH Prize semi-finalist tells us about his network of artisans and why he wants to build India’s next big fashion house.
The influence of Indian craftsmanship in fashion has dominated the headlines this season, thanks in part to Christian Dior. Creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri chose Mumbai, specifically the historic Gates of India, as the backdrop for her fall 2023 show. While frivolous excursions to exotic locales are nothing new when cruise season rolls around — Gucci having just showcased in Seoul and Louis Vuitton heading to Lake Maggiore in Italy later this month — the decision by Chuiri isn’t a random one.
Rather it reflects a longstanding relationship that Dior has with the country’s community of artisans. A practice common within the world of European high-fashion. As reported by the Business of Fashion in 2020, brands, including Hermès, Gucci and Prada rely on Indian craftsman for their traditional hand embroidered techniques. So, why isn't there an Indian fashion brand doing the same to rival the west?
That's the question that kickstarted Kartik Kumra's interest in fashion and the inception of Karu Research. The Delhi based brand started in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 while Kumra was completing his economics degree at University of Pennsylvania. He tells me over Zoom that he chose to pursue this venture into fashion over a finance internship because he saw a gap in the market.
In the year's since the brand was founded, Karu Research has more than found their footing as a real contender in the artisinal menswear space. In January, the brand showcased for the first time at Paris Fashion Week and was among the 22 young designers vying for this year's LVMH Prize. The brand's become known for one-of-one handmade quilted jackets, up-cycled jacquards, and Kantha embroidery, a traditional technique defined by intricate patterns and designs. While, the brand was cut short of the LVMH Prize finals, its already caught the eye of musician Kendrick Lamar and stockists including SSENSE and Mr Porter.
The brand's A/W 23 collection, dubbed 'Zindago Chuno' (which translates to 'Choose Life', referencing the Trainspotting monologue), is the first since Kumra graduated in December 2022. Inspired by the young creatives that call Delhi home, the collection marks a shift from side project to becoming a viable business and highlights the core values that inspired Kumra to start the brand in the first place.
'Life in Delhi is unapologetically Indian but is still a globalised city. There's a community of people, like my friends who are stylists, photographers, local creatives that have to code switch between this professional environment which is more Americanised and the Indian side. And that affects how they dress', he tells me. 'What I wanted to do was present that dynamic, but elevated through fabrics and silhouettes'.
Ease is what defines the collection with the brand's distinct boxy silhouette making up their core offering. Established staples like workwear inspired chore jackets and wide-leg trousers embroidered with intricate detailing might have first piqued interest in Karu Research but additions like silks upcycled into breezy button up shirts and a selection of roomy tailoring is what balances the brand's elevated wardrobe.
On his manufacturing, Kumra tells me, 'it's a very tactile process. You have to see it in person'. This mean's coordinating with his network of artisans at every step, whether it's working with specialists on developing custom fabrics, pattern making and weaving and quilting before they are embroidered or block printed. ‘More than half of the people I work with I’ve connected through other artists.’
According to Kumra, keeping the process in the hands of artisan communities is marked with its own set of challenges but its a method he's committed to. For him it's important to challenge the mass standardisation of production that defines much of the industry in favourite of putting human connection at the forefront. 'It's a friction that I like. It makes us unique. It makes us hard to copy'.
Kumra admits that it was difficult at first to convince buyers that a one-on-one product model would be viable, that is until they got their hands on the pieces. 'The appeal is when you feel the fabrics. When you see the embroidery. There's a character to it that's impossible to replicate by machine'.
