Designer Ritu Kumar Says She Coined The 'Zardozi', Internet Schools Her

Veteran fashion designer Ritu Kumar has found herself at the centre of an online debate after claiming that she coined the term "zardozi." During her appearance on The Masoom Minawala Show on YouTube, the Indian couturier confessed that she came up with the term while trying to name one of her collections in the 80s.

Ritu Kumar Says She Coined The Term 'Zardozi'

"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.

Even Masoom Minawala seemed surprised by the revelation. “Oh, really?” she asked. “And then it just took off?” To which the designer said, “Yes."

For the uninitiated, zardozi is a centuries-old term derived from the Persian words ‘zar', meaning gold, and ‘dozi', meaning sewing or embroidery.

Ritu Kumar's claim drew pushback online. History and fashion enthusiasts were quick to point out that zardozi is a centuries-old Persian embroidery form that flourished during the Mughal era, long before modern fashion labels came into existence.

Social Media Reactions

While many acknowledged Ritu's role in reviving and popularising the craft, they also noted that she cannot be credited with inventing a word that has existed for centuries.

Fashion and history enthusiast Pritha Dasmahapatra fact-checked the designer's claim. A simple search on the Internet Archive led her to The Textile Manufacturers and The Costume of the People of India, a British document from 1866 that mentions ‘zardozi' twice. That, she noted, proved that the term existed long before the designer was born.

"I'll try to get more information on the history of the word Zardozi, and present an in-depth study on it later. In the meantime, stay safe (from misinformation)," she wrote in the caption.

Priyanka Raajiv, Creative Director and Founder of the luxury fashion house of the same name, claimed that she was "disappointed that the content which goes on social media is not verified."

The entrepreneur added that Ritu Kumar's own book, titled Costumes and Textiles of Royal India, makes no such claim. “I really don't know,” she said, “but yes, it's disappointing.”

Several internet users also called out Ritu Kumar for claiming a word that has been around for centuries. In the interview's comments section, one viewer wrote, "All respect to her, but she did not make 'zardozi' happen. It was present long before her."

Another added, "MOST DEFINITELY ZARDOZI WASN'T COINED BY HER. Please do your research. We all respect her but this is a stretch."

Someone else commented, "Wow! What a blatant misrepresentation of facts. She coined the term 'Zardosi'"

"Did she just claim that she invented the term zardozi. For heaven's sake, this is so crappy. Why lie? Pathetic," remarked a user.

While opinions remain divided, the discussion has reignited public interest in the rich history and origins of zardozi embroidery.

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