The article looks at AakarTaro and its SAS’26 track jacket collection, positioning it within the brand’s larger approach of reworking traditional Indian crafts for a contemporary streetwear context. It highlights how techniques like Bagru hand block printing, natural dyeing, and kantha embroidery are adapted onto a sportswear silhouette, framing the collection as an intersection of craft, functionality, and modern design that repositions heritage textiles within a global, everyday wardrobe.
AakarTaro is a homegrown label working with age-old crafts of India, pushing them into a contemporary, global-facing wardrobe. Incorporated in 2022, the brand operates out of Mansarovar and Sanganer, Jaipur, Rajasthan, crafting contemporary, eco-conscious clothing with artisanal block printing, Kantha embroidery, and hand-blocked textiles. It is driven by an aims to cultivate an Indian streetwear and a desire to reshape how Indian craft is seen beyond nostalgia, giving it what they describe as a ‘cool new modern eye.’
With their new SAS’26 collection, track jackets sit as a clear extension of this approach. They take a silhouette associated with sportswear— the zip-up, relaxed, lightweight track jacket — and rebuild it through Bagru’s hand block printing and natural dyeing processes. The jackets are handcrafted using techniques that have been practiced for generations. The use of natural dyes brings in slightly uneven, lived-in hues like reds, creams, blacks, and indigos that feel tied to the desert landscape the collection references.
Visually, the jackets carry dense patterns. Paisley jaals, geometric jaals, and repeating motifs stretch across the fabric, drawing from Bagru’s traditional vocabulary but reworked to align on a track jacket. Contrast panels cut through the prints, breaking up the surface with blocks of solid colour. Sleeve stripes and piping details run along seams, pulling from classic sportswear cues. These additions give the jackets a sharper outline, making sure they hold their own within a contemporary streetwear aesthetic.
Handwork is central to the collection. Subtle embroidery appears across the pieces — star-like motifs referencing desert skies, kantha stitches running along panels, and small details that sit on top of the printed base. In terms of construction, the jackets are 100% cotton, with a funnel neck, relaxed fit, zip-up closures, and functional pockets. They combine the ease of wear with a bold print.
As a slow fashion brand, AakarTaro’s approach is to build every piece with intention. With this collection, the craft that goes into the jackets can be traced back to the artisans who have not only sustained an old textile tradition but also helped reimagine it for a whole new era and subculture within fashion.
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