India, 11 June 2026 : For Urmila
Ghatge and Sagarika Z Ghatge, Akutee did not begin with a business plan, a
collection, or an intention to build a brand. It began much earlier, through a
relationship with painting, textiles, and the objects that gradually became
part of everyday life.
What
began as a personal artistic practice eventually became part of the visual
environment Sagarika grew up around. For over four decades, Urmila Ghatge has
painted by hand. Amongst her many artistically rich craftsmanship, her floral
motifs appeared on garments she wore, fabrics around the home, and objects
collected over time.
When
Akutee was
established, that practice naturally found expression through clothing.
Hand-painted garments became the first extension of a language that had already
existed within the family for generations.
Over
time, the same sensibility extended beyond the wardrobe. Through Akutee
Home, hand-painting now appears across
furnishings, lampshades, textiles, and bespoke pieces created for homes and
hospitality environments.
Rather
than approaching clothing and home as separate categories, Akutee sees both as
part of the same continuum - shaped by material, memory, and the way people choose
to live with the things around them.
Speaking
about the evolution of the practice, Sagarika Z Ghatge said, “A lot of what
informs Akutee already existed around us long before we thought of creating a
brand, whether it was my mother's paintings, the fabrics we grew up with, or
the way spaces and objects were lived with over time. We simply continued what
felt natural to us. There was never a deliberate distinction between clothing
and home because both came from the same place. The paintings, the textiles,
the objects, the spaces - they were always part of the same environment.”
Today,
Akutee continues across both clothing and home through a shared artistic
language shaped by hand-painting, conversance, and a practice that has evolved
gradually over time.
About Akutee
Founded
by Urmila Ghatge and Sagarika Z Ghatge, Akutee brings together clothing and
home through a long-standing hand-painting practice. Across Akutee Store and
Akutee Home, the work draws from textiles, paintings, objects, and references
that have remained part of everyday life across generations. The result is a
body of work that extends across wardrobes, interiors, and hospitality spaces
while remaining rooted in the same artistic foundation.