Today on the blog, we feature Ruchita Singh, textile designer and founder of AMAR KOSA; a clothing label based in Bangalore. Meet the maker at the February 2020 edition of By Hand from the Heart Makers Market in Chennai.
Meet The Maker: Ruchita Singh, AMAR KOSA, Bangalore
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I belong to a small town called Barabanki, near Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. I have grown up in a place which is rich is art, culture and heritage. As a kid I was always fascinated seeing the ladies around me doing Lucknavi Chikankari embroidery. Even though my mother was a doctor, but I knew my passion was in arts and textiles. I’ve done my schooling from Scindia school Gwalior and later went to NIFT Delhi. I’m a fashion designer from NIFT, Delhi and a textile designer from Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai. I’ve worked in the garment industry for over a decade before starting my label.
Why did you become a maker? Why is making so important to you?
I like to dirty my hands…this is always been my way of doing things. I feel I did not get this joy and sense of satisfaction ever earlier in my entire career till the time I started my own label. I live and feed on creativity, it’s not just limited to designing and creating clothes or bags. I work a lot on other things as well.
How did you begin your label?
After the arrival of our 2nd baby, I didn’t want to get back to the corporate grind again and that’s when I conceived the idea of having my own label. After a lot of thinking and research AMAR KOSA was born in Oct 2016.
What is the story behind your brand name?
AMAR KOSA is a Sanskrit word which means eternal collection. The story behind this name goes way back to my college days. AMAR KOSA was the name of my final garment collection in year 2000 when I passed out of NIFT and won the 3rd prize for my collection at that time. So when I thought of my label and started doing the ground work, I felt the same passion and feelings which I did during my college days, hence nothing more appropriate than going back to my old collection name.
How has your business evolved over the years?
Over the last few years, we have grown from a team of 1 resource to 7. We started with garments and have added, bags to our collection. When we started we did suits shirts, pants, dresses, tops etc but over the year our focus and specialization has narrowed down to dresses and bags.
Your work space & the artisans you work with.
We have a very informal and a different kind of work set up. I started my work with one tailor, Kitabul, as work progressed he called over his wife Mehnaaz, who does all the hand hemming and finishing job for us. Further on, my tailor’s younger brother and elder brother also joined in. Last year when we decided to step into bags, Mehnaaz’s brother Musharraf joined us. So now we have this entire family from the interiors of Bihar who works with us. This year Kitabul’s sister will get married and the parents will relocate here as well. This family’s needs are totally supported by AMAR KOSA. Kitabul also has a 2 year old baby Shaan, who was born here and is also staying with team AMAR KOSA.
Your favorite work tool.
I’m a very hands on person. I like to explore and experiment with different things. However working on block printing and exploring different techniques has always intrigued me.
What is currently on your work table?
I’m exploring lot of different art and craft forms right now. Last October I visited and stayed with an artisan for 3 weeks in Rajasthan to understand the proper technique of block printing and Shibori. Currently I’m working on tie n dye, Shibori. lots of indigos and blues for the year 2020.
What is your personal favorite pick from your label right now? And why?
Right now the block printed indigo linen bags are my favorite. We have laptop bags, totes, sling bags, gym bags and lots more in this category.
What are your displaying at the By Hand, From The Heart.
We’ll be showcasing our latest collection in By Hand, from Heart. This will be our first opening show of the year 2020.
Meet the Maker @
By Hand from the Heart: Makers Market – 29th Edit
7 – 8 February 2020, Friday – Saturday | 10 a.m – 9 p.m
Hanu Reddy Residences, No. 41/19, Poes Garden, Chennai 600086, India.
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