Akaaro

akaaro is the continuously growing and evolving voice of contemporary Indian textiles. It interprets clothing in a fresh, contemporary manner by drawing inspiration, not from tradition, but from harmony and balance; handcrafting each garment from yarn to a finished piece of luxurious clothing.

At the onset of fashion and textile designer Gaurav Jai Gupta's career, a commission for Design Lab- Central Saint Martin's school of Design London- as a trend forecaster for the year 2006-07 was soon followed by successful collaborations with Jimmy Choo, Duro Owlu London and Heimstone Paris. He became the first Indian fashion designer to be commissioned by The Woolmark Company to launch the Cool Wool Menswear Collection for Raymonds in India in 2014.

A fashion and textile designer from Chelsea College of Art and Design London and National Institute of Fashion Technology New Delhi along with being on an exchange programme at ANAT Paris; his passion for design gave birth to luxury label Akaaro in 2010, with a debut at Wills Lifestyle Debut. Few know that Gaurav Jai Gupta was invited to co-curate and showcase his work at the Bunka Salon in Tokyo alongside Dato Jimmy Choo the previous year by University of the Arts London. His work has been showcased extensively in India and overseas including the RMIT University Australia and Alchemy Festival London and also occupies pride of place in the research archives of Victoria and Albert Museum in London. 

Akaaro is the continuously growing and evolving voice of contemporary Indian textiles. It interprets clothing in a fresh, new contemporary manner by drawing inspiration, not from tradition, but from harmony and balance; handcrafting each garment from yarn to a finished piece of luxurious clothing. The brand focuses on textile as the starting point of the design process and experiments with Indian textiles to create relevance in an ecosystem that is vast, varied and global yet individualistic. 

Distancing himself from the mainstream narrative around handloom and textile revival came organically to textile designer Gaurav Jai Gupta as he continously creates original textiles for his collections. He tells Vogue: "I am a weaver, I know what it takes to create textiles. And while I understand the need to preserve history, I also believe you have to be progressive to stay relevant. I think a more sustainable future for handwoven textiles lies in constant design interventions.”

"We work with around 70-80 different weavers from across the country. The main base is in West Bengal in Phulia, where we work with chanderi. Some of our artisans are also based in Orissa, Srinagar Jaipur and Panipat.  Some of the most common materials we work with include wool, silk, cotton, zari and steel and now we’ve started using bamboo as well" the designer tells Vogue. "Our main aim is to experiment and come up with new combinations, both in terms of the materials and colours, which helps us add a contemporary touch to our ensembles."

Being a conceptual brand, born from balance, rooted yet ever-changing, akaaro fits into every wardrobe to explore and express the inner depths, personal story and life’s journey of its wearer. akaaro innovates Indian textiles by designing and developing original fabrics in-house at the studio-workshop in New Delhi and engineered garments that are one-of-a-kind timeless and experiential classics. 

The luxury label is steeped in sustainability. “We only work with natural materials and dyes, use hand techniques, create zero wastage and upcycle our old materials. I think that the most sustainable thing about any craft is the design process so adding a dimension to it surely helps to keep things in place" he tells Vogue. “We also make a conscious effort to alter our work environment and embrace sustainability in our lifestyles. For instance our studio is very minimal, we are very slow with our production as we don’t come with multiple collections and we prioritise quality over quantity. As a brand, our main aim is to be very thoughtful and conscious in every aspect.”

Gaurav Jai Gupta lives and works in New Delhi and continues research and experimentation to develop a unique design aesthetic. PS He is the only fashion designer to be featured solo on the cover of acclaimed magazine- India Today.

Luxury fashion brand Akaaro experiments with Indian textiles to create an expression of relevance in an ecosystem that is vast, varied and global yet individualistic. 

Akaaro is the continuously growing and evolving voice of contemporary Indian textiles and Gaurav Jai Gupta is acclaimed for his experiments with textiles and unique materials. The New Delhi-based textile and fashion designer, who has been creating minimalist designs for the modern Indian woman since he launched his luxury label in 2010, focuses on unconventional fabrics, handcrafted using materials like stainless steel, merino wool, pure silk and cotton, or even a blend of a few of these materials. Some of the more unorthodox weaves he has worked with in the past include blends of metal, satin and wool.

Akaaro retails haute couture and bridal wear handcrafted from unique textiles and weaves created by founder and fashion designer Gaurav Jai Gupta. The luxury fashion brand's autumn winter 2018 showing at India Fashion Week was a milestone. Per Explosive Fashion: ‘Using handwoven fabrics, the designer focused on straightforward silhouettes, layering and textured prints — in a muted color palette. Jackets, fluid dresses, pants, kurtas and blouses… the textured, beautifully draped, wearable garments were indicative of the need to move beyond embellishment. Anyone with an appreciation for handwoven garments, without too much fuss, would love.'