Indian designer Ritu Agnihotri, featured in the NOVICA Summer 2022 Lookbook, gives new life to time-honored crafting traditions with her stylish clothing and accessories.
“From a young age, I have always been drawn to colors, forms and materials. My passion for handmade and crafted products led me to pursue design as a profession. While studying at the National Institue of Design in Ahmedabad, I was drawn to the rich history of Indian textiles and handicrafts and knew this is where my future lay. In my 35-year career, I have had the privilege of working with some of the most talented artisans India has to offer in some of farthest corners of the country. From the embroideries of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, woven fabrics of Telangana and Orissa, carpets of Srinagar and dhurries of Andhra Pradesh – every state in India has a unique textile and signature to explore.
“With my years of exploring techniques and honing my skills, I have developed a concept of layered printing. In this approach, two to ten totally unrelated printing blocks are printed on top of another creating layers of pattern. As the patterns interfere with each other beautiful optical illusions are created. This gives my textiles a completely unique and signature look which I am quite proud of. For me, the hero is the fabric and the nature of the fabric directs the style of the garment – how it is cut and how it is worn. By combining sheer fabrics on top of opaque fabrics the idea of layered printing can be explored by the wearer.” See Ritu Agnihotri’s traditional block print tops, dresses, pants, and more.
