Seen carrying the baton of South Asian representation forward, and that too, with much zest and creative impact, Raja Kumari has revolutionised the face of rap and hip-hop amongst the desi diaspora. Her new single ‘Made in India’ starring the effervescent Madhuri Dixit Nene is a prolific glimpse into her discography’s disposition towards her Indian lineage. A diligent Wikipedia search also familiarised me with the fact that she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in religious studies having a concentrated focus on South Asian religions. Connect the dots et voilà!
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What’s highly commendable and probably my most favourite part about Kumari, is the costumery associated with her image. She’s a brand, after all. A brand’s supposed to look the part. And in this case, forget about looking the part, she’s EATING it up. Seen donning ace couturier Gaurav Gupta’s sculpted goodness in her Made In India video, her sartorial choice of play is a well researched style file. A PHD thesis, if I may. Due credits to the stylists and glam team as well.
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While her wardrobe is definitely bindis and bangles heavy, there’s also a contemporary hip side to it. Underbust corsets, power shoulders and sheer turtlenecks doused with abstract graphics help in lending a peculiar sort of a vibe to her persona that you can singularly associate with her and only her.
Photographed here, in a Kim Shui piece for Elle India’s July 2021 cover, it’s no surprise that she can pull off the risque and skimpy with an enviable success rate involving zero lapses. I’d really like to see her in a Supriya Lele piece as I strongly believe that a collaboration of such calibre would definitely spruce up the ‘it’ factor owing to both their commitments towards paying homage to their roots.
Long and luscious braids also dominate her glam strategy with ample focus on decals, add-ons and jewellery. This hybrid concoction ranging from Cali to Calicut certainly manages to lure in an audience longing for a new icon to uphold. But second only to her music. ‘Cause that’s the real deal. Brb, streaming Made In India for the 100th time now.
