Kartik Kumra

Kartik Kumra is the founder and artistic director of Kartik Research, a menswear label building an international following by reframing Indian craft through a contemporary fashion lens.

Despite having no formal fashion education, Kumra — who studied economics at the University of Pennsylvania — launched his menswear brand in 2021 during the pandemic. He built the label through intimate collaborations with master artisans across India, using hand-spun, hand-embroidered and often naturally dyed fabrics in limited quantities. This commitment to preserving ‘slow fashion’ techniques, and the designer’s knack for versatile and approachable silhouettes, earned him a loyal following among discerning clients, with pieces worn by A-listers like Kendrick Lamar, Lewis Hamilton and Paul Mescal.

Having been named a LVMH Prize semi-finalist in 2023, Kartik Research made its official runway debut at Paris Fashion Week Men's in June 2025, as the first Indian brand listed on the official event calendar. Titled "How to Make in India," the collection positioned Indian craft as a leading force in fashion rather than a decorative, often uncredited, element behind the scenes. Kartik Research's growing global presence is underscored by key collaborations, including an exclusive footwear collection with Converse and Dover Street Market, as well as its expansion into major retailers and the 2025 opening of its first overseas flagship in New York.