Inside Akutee: How A Long-Standing Painting Practice Found Its Way Into Clothing And Home

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.