North Eastern flavours take over fashion

Fashion is not only an expression of creativity, but is also symbolic of cultural and societal influences. Inspired by the rich heritage of the North East, fashion displays are increasingly encouraging and embracing designers, textiles and all things stylish from the region.

At the upcoming Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer ’13 in Delhi, designer Atsu Sekhose will be a part of the Ministry of Textiles and FDCI’s initiative to showcase the same.

“I have used hand-woven fabrics from places like Manipur, Assam and Nagaland. It’s great that this kind of an initiative is being taken. My collection uses traditional fabrics in a contemporary way,” says Sekhose. And what does he think of North-Eastern fashion? “If you see students from the region, you would realise they are very fashion-conscious. Many fashion bloggers from the North East are also doing well,” he says.

Apart from the fashion week, an eight-day festival celebrating the North East at Dilli Haat features designers from Sikkim, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh showcasing their work.

The Shillong Fashion Week, to be held in Meghalaya on October 19 and 20, also exemplifies the rise of talent from the region. Upcoming designers like Jongphi, Senti Jamir Nongrum and Jenjum Gadi will be a part of the event. “North Eastern states face many problems. But because of better means of communications and avenues, designers are now doing well,” says Gadi.