Kartik Kumra wanted to create a book with his fashion, so signed on photographer Jeremy Everett and stylist Julie Ragolia.
“One of my frustrations with the way craft was art-directed or shot was it was put into this very narrow box, like this is more nostalgic than anything,” said Kumra.
Despite knowing Ahmedabad, India, where the photoshoot for “Amdavad” took place, he hadn’t known about its architectural history. Le Corbusier had designed some buildings there. Shooting in such a locale elevated images, Kumra found.
“The ambition this season was how do we pivot the conversation from this being like an ornamental piece, or like an heirloom thing? It’s still precious. It’s still valuable in the same way all our pieces aspire to be,” said Kumra.
It was a matter of contextualizing differently Kartik Research’s wardrobe solution, to great success, and came at a time when the brand is poised to open a store in New York, on Orchard Street, in two months.
“What does the future of the brand look [like] with these moves?” Kumra pondered.
Within the fall 2025 collection, he had fun with suiting. But it wasn’t any suiting. “[It is] the art of the weird suit that exists for the style of it – not the function,” he said.
Kumra finds this interesting and subversive. “That’s a route I want to explore more,” he said.
The designer presented two suits with hand embroidery. There’s an interpretation of a workwear jacket, with a suede collar. Leather was plied for the first time, for the newly introduced shoes and bags.
It’s also the first time he worked with a team. “You want the push and pull,” said Kumra.
