Sitting for long hours at the desk? Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Pushkar Chawla shares how to protect the back and spine Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 13:58:18 IST By Debapriya Bhattacharya Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Poor posture at work can lead to problems with the back and the spine
A patient once told me that her blood sugar reading in the morning was higher than the one she had taken after dinner the night before. She hadn’t eaten a single thing. “How is this even possible?" she asked. “I haven’t had breakfast yet." That question comes up in my clinic almost every
Step inside the regal Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, where a one-night stay will cost you ₹4 lakh: Watch Updated on: Aug 24, 2026, 14:06:37 IST By Krishna Pallavi Priya Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link A look inside the Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad
Every year at about this point in the rains, the same sequence plays out. Outpatient departments fill with feverish patients, a city announces a jump in confirmed cases, television rediscovers the phrase “swine flu," and within a fortnight the anxiety has moved on to something else
Onam gifting is often about more than simply handing over a box of sweets. The festival brings families and friends together, and a well-chosen hamper can combine traditional flavours with attractive packaging to make the occasion more special
‘Walking is one of the most underrated things’: Geriatric doctor says you don't need to join a gym to start exercising Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 10:52:55 IST By Eshana Saha Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Read more to find out why walking is an underrated form of exercise! (Unsplash)
There are few things as satisfying as biting into a buttery, flaky almond croissant, especially when you get that rich almond flavour, creamy frangipane filling and slightly crisp, toasted edges in every bite. But when a croissant craving hits and you don’t have a bakery run planned—or all the
Erling Haaland debuts new buzz haircut after chopping his iconic blonde locks: ‘+999 missed calls from shampoo company’ Updated on: Aug 24, 2026, 08:58:32 IST By Krishna Pallavi Priya Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Erling Haaland debuts a fresh, new buzz cut
From college classes to Paris Fashion Week: Meet self-taught designer Kartik Kumra
Rapper Kendrick Lamar and actor Paul Mescal have worn his oversized shirts and linen jackets on red carpets. He showed his latest collection at Paris Fashion Week in June.
His New York store opened five months ago, with a second wing set to launch soon.
It is hard to believe that Kartik Kumra is 25, and self-taught.
It's even harder to believe how he got his start: during the pandemic, while still in college.
In five years, his brand Kartik Research has gone from a soft launch out of his parents' home to a listing in Time magazine's 100 Next and a brand stocked in 70 stores worldwide, including Selfridges in London and 10 Corso Como in Milan.
How did he do it? It helps that Kumra's aesthetic is uniquely Indian, while his designs are global.
His collections focus on crafts that Indian weavers, printers and embroiderers have excelled at for centuries: chikan work, block-printing, fine wool-silk blends. But the tips of the hat to these traditions take subtle forms: tiny details embroidered onto the corners of a black linen shirt; a jacket with a near-invisible print.
There is something on every piece, Kumra says, but it's restrained. “This makes the clothes versatile. Some see cultural roots. Others just like the aesthetic, fit and drape,” he says.
Kumra was raised in Delhi, by a career counsellor and a businessman. Football was his first love, he says. “If I'm being honest, I still love it more than I love fashion,” he adds, laughing.
After school, he headed to the UK for further study and began a small side hustle, reselling sneakers to students. “I would source cool items over the weekend, and sell them at a markup,” he says.
He was 16 at the time, but as he scoured the high street for good deals, he noticed that independent design labels were thriving. He was fascinated by these clothes, which felt true to a particular vision. “These labels sold at stores such as Dover Street Market. The idea of creating something that belonged at that level intrigued me,” he says.
He then moved to the US, to study economics at University of Pennsylvania, and the pandemic hit. Campuses shut; students returned home. “Many of my friends began to sign up for internships with financial consultancies, but I didn't want to do that: work all night, from home. That seemed horrible,” Kumra says.
This is when he began to think, again, of the clothes he had seen in the stores in London. He knew it wouldn't be hard to make clothes like those in India. The mastery was there; in many communities, unique skill was still a way of life.
He had about ₹5 lakh saved up too, from his sneaker earnings. His parents weren't sure where he meant to go with this, but were convinced enough by his business plan to encourage him to give it a shot.
Thus armed, Kumra began to plot his next few moves. He started by visiting artisans across parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, often travelling with his mother, because he didn't yet have his driver's licence. He would talk to the artisans, explain what he needed, and simply place his order for a very specific set of garments.
His first collection consisted of 20 shirts and jackets, crafted in this way. “Nice pieces but not as good as what we do now,” he says, smiling.
***
He didn't have high hopes for his label. He didn't even think of it as such, really.
“My thought was, let me just try and see where I can take this,” he says. He was serious about giving it everything he had, though.
He shot a lookbook at a cricket field near his Delhi home, with real models. He spent hours posting images, crafting Reels and engaging with his tiny audience on Instagram. He remembers the thrill he felt when he hit 100 followers. (@kartikresearch currently has over 118,000 followers on Instagram.)
Then an agent called. It was as surreal as the call from Time magazine in September, he says. Both times, he wondered if it was a scam.
Greg Hewitt turned out to be a wholesale agent who hosts a small independent showroom during Paris Fashion Week each year. He had seen Kumra's work on Instagram and thought it had potential. He believed he could find his garment space at stores such as Selfridges and 10 Corso Como.
“I was still a student. My mother (Sujata Kumra) was still helping me with everything,” he says, laughing. But he wasn't about to say no.
The first order the agent placed turned out to be a big one: shirts and jackets with embroidery, block printing and hand work worth ₹40 lakh. He and his artisans had eight months to deliver. “We didn't have any sort of system or supply chain in place so we just put everything together to make it happen,” Kumra says.
He sketched the designs, then sent them to artisans in Rajasthan for the block-printing, Gujarat for the wool-silk weaving and Uttar Pradesh for the chikan work.
“We had to deliver and we did,” Kumra says. “This was a clear sign to us that we were onto something. That maybe we have the chemistry right.”
***
How does a kid from Delhi simply “become” a designer?
“I watched YouTube videos,” Kumra says, a sense of disbelief still in his voice. He looked around for inspiration and found it, in streetwear designers such as Virgil Abloh from Illinois (who trained as an architect) and labels such as Off-White, “which made aesthetic streetwear seem achievable for people without a fashion background”. A key inspiration, he says, are the clean lines and minimalism of the Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto.
Where in the early days, Kumra just turned up at workshops, paid advance sums to earn trust, and placed intricate orders, he now works with 60 groups of artisans, visits them regularly, and collaborates to refine pieces and discuss larger orders.
Kartik Research is still a small outfit: three other designers; a PR team and external agencies for sales. A small team makes it more personal; everyone is focused on the art, Kumra says.
That sense of deep personal attachment is something he has noticed in the artisans.
“That kind of connection beyond capitalism and growth inspires me,” he adds. “I believe it is when we start to view what we do in this way, as part of a larger quest for balance, that we find our path.”
Source: HindustanTimes
Related Posts: HTWknd,Fashion,Kartik Kumra,Delhi,Kendrick Lamar,Paul Mescal
Parents should check medicine labels carefully before giving cough or cold remedies to young children. The Union Health Ministry has restricted all fixed-dose combination medicines containing chlorpheniramine maleate and phenylephrine hydrochloride from being used in children below four years of
12 hours ago
Tandoori chicken should be smoky and seared on the outside, yet juicy and tender on the inside. But it can often turn out dry, rubbery and lacking flavour, even when you’ve used all the right spices. The problem may not be the recipe itself, but a few small mistakes during preparation and cooking
1 days ago
Want to know how healthy your heart is? Cardiologist Dr Sanjay Bhojraj lists 9 blood tests for ‘cardiovascular risk’ Published on: Aug 23, 2026, 14:34:50 IST By Akanksha Agnihotri Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Dr. Bhojraj highlights nine blood tests to assess cardiovascular health
1 days ago
We tend to think of constipation as a plumbing problem: eat more fibre, drink more water, take isabgol and wait for things to move. For occasional constipation, that approach can be perfectly reasonable. But when constipation keeps returning despite these measures
1 days ago
Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women, but its biggest known cause is persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), which is closely linked to sexual transmission. While HPV itself is not caused by men
1 days ago
Chakra Horoscope Today, August 23, 2026: An obstacle does not necessarily mean you are on the wrong path Updated on: Aug 23, 2026, 14:49:03 IST By Kishori Sud Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Chakra Horoscope Today, August 23, 2026 (Pinterest) Daily Chakra Horoscope, August 23
1 days ago
Dahi vade may not be the first dish that comes to mind when planning a Sawan Somwar vrat menu, but Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s fasting-friendly version gives the classic snack a clever twist. Instead of lentils, these vade are made with cooked barnyard millet, also known as sama or samak
1 days ago
59-year-old grandmother and Roadies 20 contestant Ashu Jain shares 5 hacks that helped her 'build gym habits that stick’ Published on: Aug 23, 2026, 10:12:34 IST By Sanya Panwar Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Ashu Jain is not just a grandmother — she's a 'hybrid athlete'
1 days ago
Could artificial intelligence compress decades of medical progress into just a few years? Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei believes advanced AI systems may soon transform how we fight cancer, Alzheimer’s and other major diseases. Amodei has predicted that AI-enabled biology could compress 50 to 100
1 days ago
Look out of an aircraft window as it descends into Chennai and the coastline is the first thing that catches your eye. A long blue-grey edge against the city, with the sea on one side and the sprawling city on the other. From up there, it looks permanent
1 days ago
Soha Ali Khan, along with her husband Kunal Khemu, is known for setting couple goals through their fitness content. The couple have consistently shared videos showing their workouts in the gym, how they parent their kids together, the healthy food they eat without compromising on taste
1 days ago
As Onam 2026 approaches, here is our curated guide from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Chennai, Coimbatore, and Bengaluru covering everything from elaborate restaurant thalis to convenient takeaway sadya boxes. We consult chefs on how they are reimagining the traditional sadya; we ask celebrities how
1 days ago
Raksha Bandhan is all about celebrating the special bond between siblings. This year, show your siblings how much you mean to them and make the occasion sweeter by making everyone’s favourite kalakand at home. If you are looking for a festive dessert that is indulgent yet skips refined sugar
1 days ago
Thirty-nine-year-old Shivendra came in with what looked like an ordinary monsoon fever. Fifteen days later, he was still in hospital, only being discharged now after being diagnosed with H1N1-related pneumonia. His wife, Poonam, said the family did not take the fever seriously at first. “Actually
1 days ago
Postpartum pain is NOT just ‘normal’: Physiotherapist Muskan Rastogi reveals all about pelvic floor recovery Postpartum recovery involves more than just pain management; it includes pelvic floor rehabilitation to restore strength and reduce discomfort for new mothers. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
1 days ago
Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug has been arrested in the US state of Texas on charges of driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana and illegal possession of a firearm. Allen County Police confirmed to BBC Newsbeat the 28-year-old, whose real name is Xavier Landum, was stopped on Friday
1 days ago
44-year-old fitness coach shares simple exercises that help her look ‘15 years younger’ Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 13:24:38 IST By Akanksha Agnihotri Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Fitness coach shares 4 simple exercises to improve posture and look more youthful. (Instagram/@sascha
2 days ago
The Madhya Pradesh Health Department has ordered a high-level medical and legal investigation after a 6 woman from Ujjain died following treatment at a private hospital in Indore. She had tested positive for H1N1 influenza, commonly called swine flu
2 days ago
No food after 6 pm to boxing: Inside Dua Lipa’s fitness routine and fasting rules for toned body on her 31st birthday Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 14:11:05 IST By Sanya Panwar Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Dua Lipa turned 31 on August 22, 2026
2 days ago
The DJ dropped the beat and 70 women started throwing punches. By the time the first kickboxing combination was called out, Moon Bar, a Visakhapatnam club had shed its weekend persona to turn into a makeshift fitness floor, with women punching, kicking
2 days ago
A couple of years ago, when Osman Abdul Razak was being fitted for a suit by Yuki Igarashi, founder of Japan-based menswear brand Lecteur, he recalls being struck by how neatly Yuki’s pins were arranged on his pin cushion. “As an onlooker there, I couldn’t help but analyse this precision
2 days ago
Baro Market is coming to Chennai with a pop-up bringing together fashion, craft, art, accessories and lifestyle products, with a focus on conscious living and handcrafted design. Curated by Srila Chatterjee, the showcase marks her third pop-up in the city
2 days ago
Step inside ₹200 crore royal residence in Hyderabad: Shaped like a scorpion and home to 'world's longest dining table' Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 10:22:41 IST By Sanya Panwar Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link The palace in the shape of a scorpion: Here's a virtual tour of the magnificent
2 days ago
On Fourth Trust Link Street at Santhome in Mylapore, a piece of vacant land cheek by jowl with a Greater Chennai Corporation-run middle school was being armtwisted every day into functioning as a garbage dumping spot by residents and passersby
2 days ago
The rise in H1N1 cases across Delhi-NCR is prompting fresh concern among doctors as some patients develop severe breathing difficulties and falling oxygen levels. While swine flu often causes flu-like symptoms, it can sometimes progress to serious respiratory complications
2 days ago
Happy Birthday Chiranjeevi: Telugu cinema icon Chiranjeevi has spent more than four decades building one of Indian cinema’s most enduring careers. From his breakthrough years to becoming the industry’s celebrated Megastar, the actor has continued taking on demanding roles that require energy
2 days ago
Have high cholesterol? Nutritionist lists 9 heart-friendly cooking oil options Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 11:00:04 IST By Aayushi Gupta Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Cooking oils that may help manage cholesterol and support heart health
2 days ago
