Ritu Beri to give railway employees a makeover

Employees of one of the world’s largest railway networks are in for a designer makeover. Ace designer Ritu Beri has been roped in by the railway ministry to design new uniforms for all their employees. Speaking to us from Europe, Ritu shares that she is a fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that instigated her desire to join hands to create unique pieces for the employees.

Beri is set to design dresses for employees, including station master, loco pilot, train ticket examiner and guard.

In addition to that, the designer will also bring out a common uniform that can be used by all employees, including senior officials of the national transporters.

Giving a sneak peek and not revealing much, Ritu shares, “As the word uniform implies the idea of having a uniformity, I am looking at something that would be consistent and brighten up the image of the institution”.

“The look of the uniforms will be an ode to India and her exoticism. The focus is to reflect modern India whilst respecting our deep-rooted tradition and culture thus reflecting the glory of India.”

“I am honoured to contribute in my own way to help create an image for the Indian Railways. I will not be charging for my services,” Ritu Beri said and shared a set of initial working sketches for the railway uniforms, which, she emphasises, are only a work in progress and might not be the final design.

She elaborates, “The uniforms will be Indo-western in cut and silhouette with comfort being the most important factor. We are still working on the colour palette which needs to be attractive and eye catching. I love the look of our coolies in red; they get spotted instantly. The work is in progress. I can share details once everything it is finalised”.

For now, we are researching on various possibilities and trying to see what sort of a fabric would best suit different climatic conditions of our country. The idea is to create uniforms that are attractive, impactful and comfortable all at the same time. ”

Probe her further and she adds, “I wish to retain our traditional look but give it a modern twist in keeping with the time of today”. She also confirms that she will not be charging any fee. “I am honoured to contribute in my own way to help create an image for the Indian Railways. I will not be charging for my services,” she said and shared a set of initial working sketches for the railway uniforms, which she emphasises, are only a work in progress and might not be the final design.