ARTIST BIO
#whomadeyourclothes
“Fashion to me has always been about comfortably expressing our vivid individuality.”
- Jeet Gupta
​
Jeet has always been fascinated by What & How we consume what we Need & Desire. Working with the fast fashion corporate mass manufacturers in the beginning of his career, Jeet was exposed to the trend driven exploitation of nature and its resources (people, energy and materials). Everything seemed so unsustainable in this huge capitalist factory. He quit his corporate job and started freelance designing. He had an urge to make something meaningful, hand-made with intentions for someone to experience a collaborative story of wearable art & space created with indigenous natural fibers hand-woven by diverse artisan communities of India.
​
India is a living example of diversity, both in her terrain and in her people. From the snow-clad Himalayan north for wool to the tropical rain forests of the south for cotton, from the east coast of Bengal for khadi cotton & linen to the western deserts of Gujarat & Rajasthan for surface ornamentation, not to miss the pristine tribal North-east for silk. So many cultures, so many traditions & so many belief systems. One commonality being the natural environment, which has always inspired an artisan to creatively express the self in the medium of aesthetic and functional products for the community.
​
Color and patterns have this innate characteristic of affecting and altering our mood and state of being. The play of color alchemy has the potential of uplifting and focusing our well being. The practice of dyeing a fabric involves playing with the fabric medium and color transitions that heals the practitioner as well as the observer.
The process is simple. Much of the inspiration comes from nature, its seasonal color transitions, textures & patterns. The artist intends to reflect this in a work of color alchemy on natural fabrics. The chemicals used are eco-friendly. Reactive dyes have a low impact on the environment, as compared to any other synthetic dyestuff. The entire process; from designing, tying, color making, dyeing to washing and finishing; is done manually. Dye colorant is specifically made as per the quantity of products to be dyed and the type of designs; leading to no wastage. The dyed clothes are cured for 2 days before the final wash to reveal a sustainably hand-crafted product. The cold reactive dyes do not need heat energy dye fixation, thus producing less carbon footprints. In any other form of chemical or even natural dyeing, the dye-bath has to be heated constantly for hours to achieve the desired results.
"We can never fully predict the final design in tie-dyeing; some parts have to be left for happy accidents that creates a sense of mystery and endows a personalized touch to each product."
