Meet Kartik Kumra, the young fashion designer who learnt designing from YouTube and books

Delhi-born Kartik Kumra always had a penchant for clothes. As a teenager, he used to resell clothes online which, over the years, fuelled his interest in fashion. 

Kumra, however, says "it became pretty clear that there was nothing that looked like it represented my culture at the top level at the best stores." So he made clothes that could.

Except, he was not a fashion designer. He is, in fact, a student of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. 

But, defying the unquestioned norm that fashion designing needs formal education, Kumra not only taught himself design but also made menswear creations that would go on to catch the eyes of leading global fashion retail platforms like SSense, Mr Porter, Selfridges, and Calculus, among others. 

On being asked about his unconventional fashion education, he says, "A lot of hours on YouTube. I taught myself about luxury garment construction online and through some great (Maison) Margiela books. In general, being an enthusiast about this stuff, I knew what the standards required for these stores were. I'm still learning a lot by working with our pattern master. I'm presenting him with new ideas that he hasn't explored before and I've just been taking in knowledge by seeing him work."

Founded during the pandemic, he defines his one year-old brand – Karu – as 'Indian future vintage'.