Sagarika Ghatge launches fashion brand 'Akutee'; calls her mother 'source of inspiration'

Bollywood actor and wife of former Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan, Sagarika Ghatge recently launched her maiden fashion brand named Akutee by Sagarika. The Chak De! India star took to her official Instagram handle and announced the beginning of her journey into the world of fashion. She dropped an adorable picture with her mother and penned a sweet note on the same. Scroll down to read more. 

Sagarika Ghatge launches her maiden fashion brand

As Sagarika launched a line of exquisite saris, she posted a beautiful picture with her mother on the photo-sharing site. She captioned it as, "My first collection is very special to me as I have curated it with my mother, who has been my source of inspiration for Akutee. Some of the pieces are hand-painted by her making them a unique piece of art. Imprinting each and every outfit with her artistic elegance, my mother has contributed significantly to designing most of the motifs on the block printed fabrics."

Sagarika shared the joyful news by writing, "Through the misty haze of my childhood memories I distinctly remember being surrounded by such beauty and grace. What seemed like a perfectly normal childhood was in fact I now realise a lesson in grace and poise." 

The project sees her collaborate with her mother Urmila Ghatge, to whom she dedicates the label. She wrote, "A girl's role model is often the women in her family and I unknowingly imbibed a lot of customs, traditions and folklore very naturally. Looking at their timeless elegance I just couldn't wait to grow up to be as beautiful and poised as them."

Finding beauty in simple things, timeless handcrafted pieces of art, Akutee celebrates the actor-turned-fashion designer's childhood which she loves so much. In her another post, Sagarika added, "My first great influencers were the ladies in the family, learning from them that beauty can be in simplicity as I saw them dress up in simple Kotas, Chanderi and chiffon sarees, accessorized with minimalistic jewellery and some beautifully matching glass bangles."

Sagarika hails from a royal family of Kagal and her roots can be traced to Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur. In her own ways, her latest venture is a way of preserving her own rich cultural heritage. With the launch of the Akutee, the actor hopes to make sarees that are more accessible to modern women. 

(Image: Instagram/@sagarikaghatge)