Royal duo revive dying crafts in modern avatar

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Fashion in India is believed to have evolved from the ancient royal courts, where once upon a time kings and queens encouraged their craftsmen to create fabulous ensembles using intricate embroideries and techniques.

To revive these dying crafts and present them in a modern avatar, designer Rani Kamini Singh and her daughter Chandni Kumari from the royal family of Seohara launched their recent collection ‘Mad About Tunics’ in the capital.
Designer Kamini Singh reveals that her fashion label RoseTree was born in 2008, when her daughter persuaded her to take up her passion for fashion seriously and turn it into a full-time business. She says, “In my hometown Seohara, I used to do a private collection for myself. I was married in a family where women did not work. Since I was interested in fashion I used to work with women in my town to create Indian traditional garments. Later with them I also learnt the art of crochet and my daughter encouraged me to start my own brand.”
The recent collection by RoseTree is a pristine line of cotton tunics crafted in a Western silhouette and embellished with Indian embroideries and techniques. Says Kamini, “In my ensembles I use chikankari work, mother of pearls, zardosi, pita (hammered gold and silver embroidery) to revive these ancient crafts, and give an employment opportunity to the women artisans I work with. I personally love Indian fashion and some of my favourite designers are Rohit Bal, Ritu Kumar and Sabya, who have taken Indian crafts to global level.”
While mom prefers classic style, daughter Chandni, who is also the co-founder of the label, loves contemporary fashion and tries to include it in their creations. Chandni, who studied English Literature in college, admits it was an easy decision for her to join her mother’s label and expand it further.
Though there is significant generation gap between the two, Chandni says there are no creative clashes between them. She says, “Mom and I have very different tastes in fashion but we have created different lines to express our individual sensibilities and the concept goes very well together. Mom is more into Indian clothing, whereas I like Western fashion. I love bags, shoes and accessories more than clothes.”