People of Coworking: Kriti Jain, founder of 5TKT apparel

In this edition of People of Coworking we chat to Kriti Jain, Founder of 5TKT and resident of The Workshop, Auckland.

Tell us a little about yourself

“I am a textile and fashion designer from New Delhi, India and I totally get excited by the sight of new fabrics. Yes, I am a self-proclaimed textile nerd :)
I started out in 2011 as a designer working with India’s largest textile exporters, and then after a few years moved on to a garment manufacturer with clients based in the US. During my work in India, I was very fortunate to get opportunities to travel internationally as well as to explore and experiment with the lost textile crafts right at home.”

Founding 5TKT

A couple of years ago, Kriti Jain moved from India to Auckland, and started working in the New Zealand fashion scene. She loved being part of the design rooms in Auckland, but Kriti wanted to bring her own country’s beautiful, indie designs to Aotearoa.

Her fashion label 5TKT was born, where Kriti has personally curated a range of handmade, ethically sourced women’s apparel, scarves and jewellery from India, to promote an eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle.

For the love of fashion

Kriti loves fashion, but not fast fashion. Starting her own business meant she could pursue these values under her own terms… and so the idea of 5TKT is to curate pieces from indie designers of India, who have an ethical and sustainable ethos to their brand and how they produce fashion.

5TKT is the only fashion company in New Zealand that’s teamed up with ethically-minded Indian designers to produce a range of women’s apparel. The result is not only an eco-friendly and fair trade collection, but also a unique product line in terms of the wide variety of techniques applied, from hand knitting to hand embroidery.

“Through 5TKT, we’re able to provide a happy work environment to not only seamstresses, but talented craftspersons in all areas of the garment industry,” says Kriti. “All of this while still managing to keep the range affordable for a wide segment of the Kiwi market to enjoy.”

Every piece of clothing tells a story… the story of a man whose village has kept a traditional skill alive for 200 years, or the story of a small jewellery business thriving in even the cruelest Himalayan winters.

“That’s what 5TKT is all about,” says Kriti. “We want to share with you the joy of owning a product that not only makes good fashion sense but also tells you the true story behind it — about the people who worked so hard to make these products.”

The importance of coworking

To Kriti, joining a coworking space was important to her, and is all about being around inspiring people day-to-day while she grows her business.

Here are three reasons why she loves coworking at The Workshop!

• The positive, creative vibe: “It attracts people who don’t just need a desk to work on, but want to be surrounded by inspiring, smiling faces … the ones who are on the same creative journey as the owners, Leigh and Kristen.”
• Meeting new, inspiring people: “Every time I walk in, I wonder which awesome person I will meet next.”
• All the natural light: “The place is flooded with it! It especially helps when I am working on my colour palettes.”

Event: Tie dyeing at The Workshop!

Explore the natural essence of colour and cloth with natural dyes, in this exclusive workshop by 5TKT founder/designer Kriti Jain.

In this beginner level workshop, Kriti will show you the basics of tie dying, going through various techniques of dyeing fabric to get beautiful and unique patterns. As a part of this workshop, all participants will be provided with everything they need, including dyes and materials to create and take home your very own hand dyed table napkin!

You can also bring your own pieces to dye at our workshop and spruce up that wardrobe while relaxing with friends (please only bring light colour garments made in cotton).

Event details:

Hosted at The Workshop — Auckland, 37 Crummer Road, Grey Lynn.

When: Wednesday the 6th September 6:00pm — 8:00pm

Cost: $15 cash!

For more details and to RSVP to this event jump through to the Meetup event page!

A big thank you to Kriti for taking the time out from creating these beautiful garments, and chatting with us. Be sure to keep up to date with Kriti’s collections via her Facebook & Instagram.