‘Ritu Kumar did not invent the word zardozi’: Internet criticises designer's viral claim

Ritu Kumar's claim to have coined ‘zardozi’ has drawn criticism, with many arguing that the term, rooted in Persian culture, existed long before her career.

Indian veteran designer Ritu Kumar, who styled Princess Diana and the biggest Bollywood names, is facing heavy backlash from netizens after she claimed in an interview that she coined the term zardozi. The ace Indian couturier appeared on The Masoom Minawala Show and, during the conversation, shared that she coined the term ‘zardozi’.

Ritu Kumar says she coined zardozi

History and fashion enthusiasts quickly jumped online to point out that zardozi is a centuries-old Persian embroidery art form that flourished during the Mughal empire, long before the inception of modern fashion labels. Here's what the designer had said:

According to the designer, she came up with the term while trying to name one of her collections in the 80s. "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," she said.

For a second, even Masoom Minawala was shocked by the revelation, and then she responded with a surprised, "Oh, really?" before adding, “And then it just took off.” To which the designer said yes.

Zardozi: The history

For the uninitiated, the term zardozi is centuries old, derived from the Persian words ‘zar,’ meaning gold, and 'dozi,' meaning sewing or embroidery. After hearing Ritu Kumar's claims, many fashion enthusiasts were disappointed. Many pointed out that though Ritu Kumar deserves immense credit for reviving and bringing attention to the craft, she does not get credit for inventing a word that has existed for centuries.

One Instagram user rightfully noted, “When influential voices speak about our textile heritage, their words become history for millions. That’s why facts matter.”

Fashion and history enthusiast Pritha Dasmahapatra conducted a deep dive into the designer's claims. According to her, doing a simple search on the Internet Archive led her to ‘The Textile Manufacturers and The Costume of the People of India’, documented by the British in 1866, where ‘zardozi’ was mentioned twice. Proving that zardozi came years before the designer was even born.

Instagram users also criticised the designer for claiming a word that has been around for centuries. One wrote, “How come someone in fashion doesn’t know zardozi originated from Persia? It is even more shocking to know that Ritu Kumar, an eminent designer, has said this.”

Someone else commented, “There will be so many enthusiasts who would believe Masoom Minawala’s podcast. I, too, was surprised and upset to hear Ritu Kumar’s claim to have invented Zardozi.”

Another user remarked, “The word 'Zardozi' definitely predates Ritu Kumar. There's enough proof on the internet today to prove that. I am surprised someone that accomplished in her field said this.”