This weekend one of the buzziest store openings in New York is the first flagship of Kartik Research, the homegrown label founded by Kartik Kumra when he was still a student at the University of Pennsylvania. Originally founded as Karu Research, the line’s progression from an experimental learning process that documented Kumra’s own journey from clothing enthusiast to full-fledged fashion entrepreneur.
After graduating college in 2022, he pursued the brand in earnest, already having the support of a steady customer base and stockists that range from SSENSE and MR PORTER to Dover Street Market and BOON THE SHOP. And although the label is no stranger to pop-ups and installations, its first proper flagship required a certain vision to bring the brand’s unique sensibilities into a permanent physical space.