Internet Calls Out Indian Designer Ritu Kumar After 'Zardozi' Claim

Ritu Kumar has spent decades shaping Indian fashion, dressing everyone from global royals to Bollywood's biggest stars while playing a significant role in reviving traditional Indian textiles. However, the veteran designer has now found herself at the centre of an unexpected online debate after a recent interview clip sparked widespread criticism among fashion and history enthusiasts.

What did Ritu Kumar say? 

The discussion began after Kumar appeared on The Masoom Minawala Show, where she spoke about one of her early exhibitions in the 1980s. During the conversation, she shared that she had coined the word "zardozi" while naming one of her collections.

"The word zardozi was not there. I did an exhibition, didn't know what to call it. Zar is the name from Iran, and dozi, I stuck with it, and we put zardozi. Now today it's become a generic term," Kumar said.

Her statement visibly surprised host Masoom Minawala, who responded, "Oh, really?" before adding, "And then it just took off." Kumar replied in agreement.

Internet calls out the designer 

Soon after the interview surfaced online, social media users began questioning the claim. Many pointed out that while Kumar is widely credited with reviving and popularising Indian embroidery traditions, the term zardozi itself has existed for centuries.

Historically, zardozi is derived from the Persian words "zar," meaning gold, and "dozi," meaning embroidery or sewing. The intricate metal embroidery technique later flourished in the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal era and has long been associated with royal craftsmanship.

The conversation gained further momentum after fashion and history enthusiast Pritha Dasmahapatra shared her own research on the subject. According to her, a search through the Internet Archive led to the 1866 British publication The Textile Manufacturers and The Costume of the People of India, where the word "zardozi" appears multiple times—well over a century before Kumar's interview reference. Instagram users also voiced their disappointment in the comments section.