Ajay Kumar: Creating a new article

2023-09-28T16:12:13Z

Creating a new article

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{{Short description|Indian menswear brand}}

{{Infobox company
| name = KARU RESEARCH
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| industry = [[Fashion]]
| founded = 2021 [[Gurugram, India]]<ref name="vogue india">{{cite web|title=LVMH Prize semi-finalist Kartik Kumra of menswear label Karu Research on the recipe behind his bestselling Kantha fits|url=https://www.vogue.in/fashion/content/lvmh-prize-semi-finalist-kartik-kumra-of-menswear-label-karu-research-on-the-recipe-behind-his-bestselling-kantha-fits|date=28 March 2023|author=
Zamindar, Shriya}}</ref>
| founder = Kartik Kumra<ref name="WSJ">{{cite web|title=He Built a Global Fashion Brand—Before He Passed His College Finals|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/karu-research-kartik-kumra-11670936474|date=13 December 2022|author=Gallagher, Jacob}}</ref>
| hq_location = New Delhi<ref name="hypebeast">{{cite web|url=https://hypebeast.com/2023/6/karu-research-spring-summer-2024-collection-lookbooks|title=Karu Research SS24 Depicts Indian Masculinity Through Rebellious Figures|date=June 27, 2023|access-date=August 16, 2023| author=Andrea Sacal}}</ref>
| website = {{URL|https://karuresearch.com/|karuresearch.com}}
}}

'''Karu Research''' is an Indian menswear brand founded by Kartik Kumra in 2021.
== History ==
The brand was founded in 2021, and has been referred to as a "pandemic-born" fashion brand, as founder Kartik Kumra founded it amidst the global [[Covid-19]] shutdowns.<ref name="vogue india"/> At the beginning of the brand, Kumra could not drive, so his mother transported him around the country. Oftentimes the relationships with local artisans began as cold-calling.<ref name="WSJ2"/>

Karu Research grossed $300,000 its inaugural year. By 2022 it grossed more than $900,000 in revenue.<ref name="WSJ"/> Kumra cited [[Dries Van Noten]] and Craig Green as a major influence.<ref name="WSJ"/><ref name="vogue india"/>

In January 2023, Karu Research received its first showcase in [[Paris Fashion Week]].<ref name="vogue india"/> The brand became one of the twenty-two semifinalists in the running for the [[LVMH]] Prize, showcased during Paris Fashion Week.<ref name="WWD">{{cite web|url=https://wwd.com/runway/mens-spring-2024/paris/karu-research/review/|date=June 25, 2023|access-date=August 14, 2023| title=Karu Research Men’s Spring 2024|author=Joelle Diderich}}</ref>

Kumra was included in the 2023 Forbes 30 under 30 list for Asia.<ref name="Forbes">{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/kartik-kumra/?sh=299df18f2825|access-date=August 14, 2023|title=Kartik Kumra}}</ref>

His spring collection was inspired by two iconic Indians, [[Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar II]], an arts patron who became Maharaja of Indore in 1926, and [[Sourav Ganguly]], one of the country’s premiere cricketers.<ref name="WWD"/>

Karu Research is solidly based in an Indian sensibility, both aesthetic and cultural. A vital component of Kumra's brand is the role of local garment makers, and combining regional methods of Indian textile production.<ref name="WSJ"/> His garments are typically woven textiles which can be made with no electricity at all, weaving is done on handlooms and coloring is achieved through natural dyes.<ref name="WWD"/>

The [[Sanskrit]] word Karu translates to "artisan," keeping in line with the brand's bedrock principal of engaging local artisans and utilizing their traditional and specialized skillsets.<ref name="gq">{{cite web|url=https://www.gqmiddleeast.com/style/karu-research-kartik-kumra|title=Karu Research Blends India’s Cultural Heritage With the Skill of Its Artisans|author=Aravin Sandran|date=April 5, 2022|access-date=August 14, 2023}}</ref>

For their SS24 menswear line, the brand collaborated with Himalayan organizations and created vegetable dyes and textured linens woven on handlooms. Traditional Indian mosaics and floral illustrations were used alongside hand-embroidery to adorn linen shirting, cardigans, and jackets. A series of cricket-inspired pieces were created in collaboration with Stepney Workers Club.<ref name="hypebeast"/><ref name="complex uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/style/a/sanj-patel/karu-research-heritage-inspired-ss24-collection|author=Sanj Patel|date=July 4, 2023|access-date=August 16, 2023|title=Karu Research’s Heritage-Inspired SS24 Collection Showcases Artisanal Craftsmanship}}</ref>

The brand has been work by [[A$AP Rocky]], [[Joe Jonas]], and [[Kendrick Lamar]].<ref name="ElleCanada">{{cite web|url=https://www.ellecanada.com/vip/elle-extra/tints-streetwear-veja-and-karu-research-how-to-dress-like-aap-rocky-with-these-three-sustainable-fashion-brands|title=Tints Streetwear, Veja and Karu Research: How to Dress Like A$AP Rocky With These Three Sustainable Fashion Brands
|author=Tom White|date=August 14, 2023|access-date=August 16, 2023}}</ref><ref name="WSJ2">{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/story/penn-student-built-global-fashion-brand-worn-by-stars-like-joe-jonas-before-his-college-finals-4db6a85a|title=Penn Student Built Global Fashion Brand Worn by Stars Like Joe Jonas Before His College Finals
|author=Jacob Gallagher|date=January 6, 2023|access-date=August 16, 2023}}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist}}
{{Portal|Fashion|India}}

Karu Research - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Creating a new article