Rainbow looms from the northeast

|
1 2 3 4 5
  • 0

Rainbow looms from the northeast

Friday, 15 July 2016 | ABHISHEK GURUNG and GANITA

Rainbow looms from the northeast

Men and women dressed up in colourful fabric woven from the loin loom walked the ramp at Arunachal House. ABHISHEK GURUNG and GANITA report

The Northeast is looking to weave a new story with its traditional looms much like the khadi revolution in the mainstream fashion space.  Weavers from North East India shared the platform with designers yesterday at Arunachal House in Delhi. This was a promo for the North East India Fashion Week which is going which is going to take place in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh from 19th August to 21st August. Opang Jamir, Mr. Earth India 2011 and Mr. India International 2012, will be the showstopper at the launch fashion show.

When asked about the handloom collection, Opang Jamir, who was seen wearing a traditional outfit by a participant designer and weaver Rohila Engtipi, who was representing Kabri weavers, said that though they were still learning about intricacies, they had learnt that it takes a lot of time to pull off the strings and thread to make a fabulous work of art. “Dress well all the time, be positive,” he giggled. “Though the Northeast has a rich weaving tradition, there is very little coverage of media in North-East states,” he sighed. “We are really trying to globalise it. We are doing this promo in order to let people know more of our north eastern fashion week and it’s on its second edition. We want to reach out to more people, the more the merrier. We have travelled to Itanagar, Dimapur, Shillong, Assam and finally Delhi for the promotions,” he told.

“Yana Ngoba Chapku and Arita Kashyap are the two designers who are trying to showcase the efforts of people who are working on the ground. Weavers are the people who are actually doing the hard work to make the fabric, but are not getting enough representation. To make one inch of fabric, it takes weeks. It is a really hard work and you need extreme patience to do that,” said Adil Hussain, brand ambassador, NEIFW. He continued, “Yana took me to a one week tour of Arunachal to meet the weavers. After the visit I understood her vision.”

Yana is the chief operating officer of NEIFW. Her vision is to make sure that the weavers also get enough representation. “There is still no substitute to intricate handloom designs. There are only a few active weavers or should we say artists of this dying art form left. Central and the state governments are trying to fund the revival but the benefits are not reaching the designers and weavers. Fashion shows are organised by people who do not belong to the domain, only to usurp the Government funds for the North East, and these end up becoming more of skin-show events, earning North East a bad name. Not a single dress showcased at such events gets sold.” She further added, “Buyers from across UK, US, Africa and other countries have expressed immense interest in the North East tribal weaves and handicrafts. However, what gets represented from India internationally are the mainland Indian designs only. A lot many buyers abroad, and even in India, still do not know of our existence even. Our traditional art and culture - handloom, clothes etc --- is very different from the mainland Indian style.” She wants to bridge this divide.

Arita Kashyap, describing her collection,  told us that her designs are incorporated with khadi and have  a modern touch that can be worn for any day outings. “It is a non violent silk, we don’t kill any insect while making the silk”. Arita’s collection is very much international and ibased on a very old technique. “Weavers' children should again be weavers, not doctors and engineers and should learn the culture of weaving. As a designer it is my effort to get everybody together. Promote us and our weavers, join hands with them, wear organic clothes,  organic designs and stick to reality,” she said.

Trending News

more

Sunday Edition

Chettinad: Unleashing the Ghosts of Imagination

16 February 2025 | Divya Bhatia | Agenda

A Sky Full of Wings

16 February 2025 | SAKSHI PRIYA | Agenda

Pan India Plates

16 February 2025 | Abhi Singhal | Agenda

Indulgent Flavours

16 February 2025 | Team Agenda | Agenda

Young and Rising Stars of Dining

16 February 2025 | Pawan Soni | Agenda

Reconnect with yourself

16 February 2025 | Rohit Kaul | Agenda

Chettinad: Unleashing the Ghosts of Imagination

16 February 2025 | Divya Bhatia | Agenda

A Sky Full of Wings

16 February 2025 | SAKSHI PRIYA | Agenda