Fashion, what was only for the eminent Fashion Weeks and Bollywood movies, has now taken the center stage in a common man’s life. Today, people use their styles and fashion trends to show their personalities. Fashion has become a new language of sharing your opinions without saying a word.
In this growing Indian Fashion Industry where uniqueness is becoming a trend, two names Ruchi Roongta and Rashi Agarwal, the designers and entrepreneurs behind the apparel brand Ruceru, are setting unique trends in the Indian Fashion Industry.
From following a family legacy in the fashion industry, carving design inspirations from nature and traditional architecture to essential advice to young fashion aspirants, designers Ruchi Roongta and Rashi Agarwal have shared it all from starting small to making it big in the glamorous fashion industry. Read the following interview to know more about the enticing journey made by the duo.
How has been your professional journey so far? Tell us about your career in brief.
It has been highly rewarding experience with the learning curve heading towards the right direction and a helpful work environment enabling to overcome all the challenges. We started of small, learning from our mother and getting inspired by her. This journey so far has been fruitful for us. We were fortunate to participate in two seasons of Lakme’ Fashion Week 2017 and 2018. We were also a part of FDCI 2019 show. We feel humbled by all the appreciations and recognitions, which motivates us as women entrepreneurs in this fashion industry to achieve more. We got an opportunity to style prominent Bollywood celebrities Shilpa Shetty, Bipasha Basu, Dia Mirza, Bhumi Pednekar to name a few.
Who inspires you to wake up every day and keep making a difference in the fashion industry? What is the source of your motivation?
As we mentioned earlier, our mother and grandmother were our sources of inspiration, we call them our mentors. We love to travel and are keen on learning different cultures in our country and around the world. We often take inspirations from traditional styles of architectures, the details of it. We try to incorporate motifs and designs in our apparel which reflects cultural heritage. Rashi has a knack for drapes, she takes inspiration from Greek culture and other mythological stories, she amalgamates them with modern trends. Ruchi on the other hand, has a strong sense of aesthetics and in-depth knowledge of Indian embroideries.
What challenges did you face while establishing a fashion brand?
We have taken each in our stride and tried to transform them into valuable learning processes. The main challenge was to carve out a niche in an industry which was already inundated with multiple brands. So, we thought what we as consumers would want from a brand and then tried to reproduce that in our designs. Our collection reflects the uniqueness of every woman while keeping them at par with the trend. To come up with something new yet in vogue has been a constant challenge but we are also thrilled by it.
Brief us about the operations of your company/brand, its functionality, mission, vision, and core values.
Ruceru is a flourishing fusion wear brand based in Kolkata producing contemporary ensembles for the urbane woman. We emphasize on wearability and quality craftsmanship to create statement pieces. Our signature style includes deconstruction of traditional drapes and creative surface development techniques where we try to amalgamate artistry and wearability together. Ruceru creates fine drapes with flattering cuts which accentuate the body. We concentrate on creating feminine silhouettes with more organic draping techniques. Every Ruceru piece has a certain kind of ease and effortlessness in it. Fabrics like crepe, chiffon, silk satin, silk Habutai, and raw silk are a few that we use for our collection. Ruceru uses creative surface development techniques which make every piece look special. Our constant effort is to create new embroidery technique every season, traditional zardosi work with metallic filling, 3D flower embroideries, thread work butterfly applique are a few to name it. Our label caters to modern, urban, confident women who are open to ideas and are not afraid to experiment with cuts and drapes.
What is the current scenario of the Indian fashion industry in accordance with the ongoing pandemic?
Like every other line of business, fashion has suffered too. But it has also shown remarkable resilience, especially with the immense potential to innovate and improvise. Masks and protective gears have penetrated the fashion industry significantly and are currently in huge demand.
According to you, what are the essentials of being a trendsetting professional in the fashion and lifestyle space?
As they say, fashion may change, style remains. But, in commercial terms, keeping up with the market trends is the key to remaining afloat in today’s volatile economy. So, our mantra for being a trendsetter is to find the right balance between tradition and modernity. If we integrate our roots into the contemporary trends, we will always remain relevant and relatable.
What advice would you give to the young entrepreneurs who are looking to enter the fashion world?
My advice to young entrepreneurs is to know one’s USP well and leverage it even better. Creativity can take you a long way, but at the same time you need to do your market research. Every design has a market for it, tapping the right market is important. It is easy to come up with a label what is more important is to sustain.
What does the future look like for you and your company/fashion brand? Are there any growth strategies for both of you?
I am extremely motivated to take Ruceru to a larger audience with the Couture and a newly launched ready-to-wear collection. Along with a flagship store in Kolkata, I am looking forward to supplying to more multi-designer brands, open stores in other cities, also what I have learnt from this year, predicting the future with online shopping websites.
In your opinion, how the Indian fashion industry is going to change in near future and its position on a global level?
In today’s world of six degrees of separation, fashion has become global in the truest sense. Indian fashion is no longer that exotic collection of apparels full of bling. Our traditional wear is now designed to suit ergonomic aesthetics. So, comfort and couture go hand in hand when it comes to our future designs. What I feel is that Indian traditional wear, especially bridal wear is going to see a surge in demand globally and will be one of the strongest factors behind the growth of India’s fashion economy.
