T-shirts that are designed as a nod to your favourite pop culture fandom - be it Billie Eilish, Pulp Fiction or Scarface - might not be hard to find. However, that with a dose of parody might be rare and that’s where the youthful label, Artsea offers. Founded by artist, designer and entrepreneur, Jayesh Ladhwani aka Jay, this was a label that started making waves on Instagram during the lockdown. The 23-year-old has collaborated with over 25 indie artists and takes their art submissions and then works on what kind of t-shirt or crop top it will best suit!
For the Ahmedabad-based design entrepreneur, this brand was happenstance. Although he started it with his friends last year, since the last six months, he has been the sole founder and designer. “Initially, we wanted to have just a t-shirt store of our own. Soon, we realised there is a whole lot of independent talent who'd appreciate us putting efforts into selling their merch. We reworked on it, collaborated with a handful of artists and started,” says Jay.
The t-shirts are usually in solid colours like white or black with the artwork taking the centre stage. Some of the latest collections include a nod to Uma Thurman’s classic pose from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, a smoke in one hand and a gun in another, that has been reimagined by artist Sanket Bhalerao. We especially like the Scarface tee, with artwork by Valine Punamia and Jay. The white tee that incorporates one of the most famous dialogues from the Al Pacino classic - “The Eyes, Chico, They Never Lie.” There’s a twist though, the line finds a place with several art classics like Johannes Vermeer’s Girl With A Pearl Earring and Leonardo da Vinci’s Monalisa among others. We like The Billie Eilish motif Tee, that’s a nod to her famous video of the song, When The Party’s Over. Artist Avinash Kundnani has fused Billie’s photo with that of inspiration from iconic Guido Reni’s work, St Catherine Of Alexandria. The result is a whole lot of drama but one that will definitely be a conversation starter if you choose to wear it!
The fabric used is pure cotton and it is bio-washed such that it stays true to its size. While men can shop for graphic tees and winter wear hoodies, women have a wider range of choices like tees, crop tops, hoodies and so on. Pair them with blue denim, tuck it in, and you’re good to go and make a statement.
Available online.
Rs 300 onwards.
(You can get in touch with the writer via mail at paulami@newindianexpress.com and follow her on Twitter at @Paulami309)