Raja Kumari brings schoolgirl braids, bindis, and silk to Delhi's National Handloom Day event

For Kumari, handloom isn’t meant to be saved strictly for sarees. “Seeing it styled like this with jeans shows how versatile it is," she says

Delhi has always held a special place for Grammy-nominated artist Raja Kumari. In the Capital for ‘Dhaagon Ki Sargam’, a National Handloom Day event co-hosted by the Ministry of Textiles and the FDCI, the Made in India singer brought down the house for a room packed with music lovers, before opening up about reimagining handloom, her journey, and her love for local street food.

Dressed in a whimsically embroidered silk ensemble by designer Shruti Sancheti paired with schoolgirl braids, a bindi, and hand-painted metallic charms, she offered a lesson in blending old-world craft with modern style. (Photo: Raajessh Kashyap/HT)

Dressed in a whimsically embroidered silk ensemble by designer Shruti Sancheti paired with schoolgirl braids, a bindi, and hand-painted metallic charms, she offered a lesson in blending old-world craft with modern style. “When we were curating the look, we wanted to pay homage to classic Indian schoolgirls... That’s the beauty of fashion: you can take an Indian aesthetic, put a modernist twist on it, and it still feels deeply rooted.”

For Kumari, handloom isn’t meant to be saved strictly for sarees. “Seeing it styled like this with jeans shows how versatile it is. It cements how incredible our textile history has always been, and I’m so happy to see this renaissance.”

That sense of identity runs deep for the Indian-American artist. “When I went to America, they’d say, ‘You’re not American, you’re Indian.’ But in India, people would say, ‘You’re not Indian, you’re American.’ With my song Made in India, I wanted to sum that up. People here might say I’m not Indian enough, but to the rest of the world, they only see an Indian girl. It’s about standing in that power.

Whether on an international red carpet or performing abroad, she insists on championing Indian designers. “Nobody does it better, it’s in the intricate stitching. My mom has an incredible saree collection, and growing up, I’d always ask her about the weaves. The saddest thing would be if artisans aren’t supported and these traditions fade away. People spend fortunes on luxury items, yet we have world-class craftsmanship right here in our backyard.”

Her decision to build her career in India was inspired early on. “My father left India in the ‘70s to build a life in the US. I’m the result of the American Dream, but my dream was always to come back,” she reflects, citing the film Swades as a turning point. “Living in America, I was upcycling my mother’s old sarees to recreate India. Moving here and collaborating with local designers opened up endless possibilities.”

With ten years in the industry, her advice to rising musicians is straightforward: stop copying the West. “The West is actually looking to the East to find purpose. We tend to ‘copy-paste’ whatever works once, but young artists need to tell genuine stories. Seeing young musicians thrive in an independent music scene that didn’t exist when we started feels like the fruits of our labour.”

And when it comes to visiting the Capital, she keeps her priorities clear. “I love driving around Connaught Place, surrounded by the history and architecture. But Delhi’s street food hits differently especially the Aloo Tikki Chaat! People assume I’m snooty about where I eat, but I always tell my friends: ‘Take me to the street food spot everyone loves!’”