Bring home vintage art and the love of India, while you spot the most fashionable silhouettes and footwear too…
A self taught designer, a dusky model who prefers to create her own story line over her photo-shoots, Ruchika Kukreja explores art in all its forms possible. Her pictures are worth seeing to believe. Ruchika has named her creations the Sitara inspired by her mother’s name.
Artist’s Discovery
“I never thought I would design clothes. It was simply a method of progression for me as a creative soul,” is what Ruchika has understood of her self, essentially having worked as a brand retail manager with Rosenthal Versace and even a men’s stylist and designer for Red Tape. She specialised in merchandising and fashion retail in India and London, but her love to create did not leave her.
“An artist cannot be isolated in one form and so my art has been changing its mediums ever since,” shares Ruchika who has been working on antique applique pieces to create bohemian styled tunics, kurtas and silhouettes that are somewhere between the classic Indian style and the western cuts.
Ruchika Kukreja @ Sitara Store , Shahpur Jat, New Delhi
“My love of clothes started with the fact that I could not ever find clothes of my liking. So I started designing my own cuts. I knew tailoring from what mom had learned from my aunt. So stitching was not a problem. I started using my love of culture and used vintage embroideries, appliqués and designed my own line of what I would like to wear,” shares Ruchika.
Earthly Inspirations
What has come about is an extremely earthy feel to it under the Sitara banner of bohemian inspired outfits. If you can wear your individuality, then spot one of these garments which makes a statement in a cocktail setting, parties, shagan and sangeet as well. No wonder Ruchika has a foreign clientele that is ‘seriously intrigued by our culture, fabrics, embroidery styles and everything around it,’ coming back for more each season since 2017.
Priced between Rs. 3000 going upto Rs. 30,000, Ruchika prides in customers who are only spotting her clothes. She does not repeat a design because, ‘vintage pieces are unique and cannot be replicated, so one design will make only one unique assemble.’ Ruchika also makes extensive use of vintage jewellery and is now designing her own footwear. Her idea of making best out of waste has taken her to fulfilling heights. And the best part of her attires are that, “this is easily hand washed, creates much less water pollution and bio-degradable”, unlike fast fashion that is become extremely difficult to dispose and is becoming a huge environmental issue for garment companies.
Orange Is Life 