Asha Gupta’s journey is inspiring not only for her family and friends but many women all across. From the age of 14, she was fond of making things from old clothes and using her mother%u2019s saree to make something for her, recalls her son Gautam, while talking with Opoyi about how his mother is an inspiration for many in his family and him too.
Asha Gupta established her label Vinayak in 1998 which was re-branded as %u201CAsha Gautam%u201D in 2016. It started when she designed saris for her daughter%u2019s wedding trousseau.
%u201CThe stitching machine was her best friend during free time and little was she aware that a hobby will soon become a profession in 1998 and an established brand,%u201D said Gautam.
%u201CDuring my sister%u2019s wedding in 1996, she designed a few saris for her trousseau and was appreciated by many. Her immediate family encouraged her to start with a capsule collection, but she had a lot of inhibitions as in their community women were not allowed to work,%u201D he said.
However, It was a long persuasion from her daughters Bhawana and Sonal, husband Ram Prakash Gupta, and Gautam himself that at the age of 43, she started her journey in 1998 with a capsule collection of saris which she developed and exhibited for friends and family.
%u201CThe entire collection got sold on the first day itself and then there is no looking back since then. Her fondness of traditional Indian crafts was seen in her initial collections and was loved by her clients,%u201D he said.
%u201CThe family was initially criticized and she was targeted for crossing the line. With every criticism, the family had her back and that was a great pillar of strength for her. My father and I used to accompany her to various places for sourcing and look out for vendors. She used her house in the Hudson line in North Delhi as her workplace with her room as an office, drawing room as a store, and balcony as a small workshop. The helpers of the family were the salespeople and I used to assist her along with my studies. Her creativity, hard-working attitude, soft speaking skills, innocent smile, and patience made her grow in leaps and bounds,%u201D he said.
The label started with saris and then expanded into bridal wear within 2 years. The brand is known for working tirelessly with rich craft and textile and in 2011, they started developing exclusive textiles as well. Gautam says that her mother loves wearing sarees and to date loves designing them the most. %u201CHer love for Indian textiles started very early age which became the brand%u2019s biggest strength as well. In 2003, I joined and together we went into expansion mode yet keeping the essence of the brand. We realized how important it is to stick to our roots and also have an identity with our collection. This is the reason that our collection from past so many years is inspired by the rich history and heritage of our country,%u201D said Gautam. Asha Gupta lost her husband in 2007 due to a silent heart attack but that didn’t stop her from fulfilling her commitments as there were orders of clients to be delivered the next day.
%u201CEven after personal loss she realized the responsibility and she continued working and harder than before. We together traveled to various parts of the country and collaborated with artisans to develop designs according to us. We also tried to source artisan%u2019s work as well to upcycle them.
%u201CAt 66 she still loves her work, meets her old clients as they are family now, interacts with the design team, even travels, gets familiar with technology, and yes loves Instagram too. Today she provides employment, directly and indirectly, involved with more than 500 artisans working in 6 states, 12 clusters, and 30 crafts,%u201D he said.
