“I realised at the age of 15 that I wanted to study fashion, and subsequently, work in the fashion industry,” says Ritika Bharwani, who launched her label Ritika in 2011. She may be new to the business – making her debut at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer Resort 2012 – but ever since Sonam Kapoor and Alia Bhatt wore her pieces, this designer’s had her hands full. In fact, in three short years, Bharwani has also dressed Parineeti Chopra, Esha Gupta and Sonakshi Sinha and hopes to see Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif styled in her label too. And that’s not where her ambitions end: “I would definitely love to see Blake Lively, Rihanna and Angelina Jolie in my creations,” she says.
With a focus on contemporary, occasion and bridal wear for her Fall/Winter 2014-15 collection, the designer was inspired by butterflies – but not just any butterflies. These are found in Iguazu Falls, on the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. “I was visiting the falls and was taken in by the beauty of the butterflies and decided to base my collection on them,” she says. “The pieces are my interpretation of the optical illusion that the wings of the butterfly create. I have used appliqué 3D detailing, intricate leather cutwork embellishments and digital printing with a watercolour effect to decode the various facets of the butterfly into design.”
The designer, who attended SNDT University in Mumbai and fashion entrepreneurship in London College of Fashion, designs for the woman she feels connected to – one who “is a contemporary, stylish global traveller who appreciates and understands timeless, understated luxury.”
Ritika is available at Atosa, Aza, Amara, Fuel and Creo in Mumbai; Studio Saks in Chennai, Rudraksh and Ananya in Pune, Avakasa in Ahmedabad.
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