Stop plagiarism, demands Ritu Kumar

Veteran designer Ritu Kumar can’t help but muse loudly about the current state of affairs in fashion.

“Plagiarism has taken a toll on the industry,” she states without mincing words. Who better than to voice that as she was the first designer to protest against plagiarism 15 years ago when the industry was in its nascent stage.

“It was a difficult situation, but I went ahead and did it. We won all the 8 cases, but it took 15 years to get justice. The time factor taken by the judiciary to punish offenders is demoralising.”

She further adds, “It is a virus that has penetrated in all the sectors, be it fashion or films. We need a judiciary system just like every other developed nation. Plagiarism is not only anti-industry, but also anti-creativity. The vicious circle needs to be broken with making laws stringent and charging high penalty.”

Ritu is looking to doing a lot of things in the coming days. For one, she plans to resume work on her book on the fashion industry. “The book that I am working on has taken a backseat as I have lots of shows and production that need to be taken care of first.” One of the most important things she’s looking forward to is the launch of a prêt line by her son Amrish at the upcoming Lakme Fashion Week.

Besides launching her son’s prêt line, the designer will be holding a solo show in Mumbai and Delhi by mid- November to unveil her high-end couture line.