Northeastern designers give traditional textile a modern spin

Recently, actor Kareena Kapoor Khan turned heads with a striking off-shoulder dress by Hannah Khiangte, a designer hailing from Aizawl, Mizoram. The sculpted navy silhouette, accented with a cream fringe, stood out not just for its design but for its fabric — the Mizo puan, an indigenous textile rich in heritage. Hannah is not the only designer from the region who is blending tradition with contemporary flair.

Textile designers from the Northeast are reviving heritage textiles and showcasing them on the global stage, where they remain relatively unknown.

Woven roots, modern silhouettes

“When we were in college, not much was taught about Northeastern textiles Northeast to design students, but now we see a change in how our creations are perceived,” says Manjushree Saikia, founder of the brand Ura Maku, who hails from Assam. “We work with Eri silk, also known as Ahimsa silk, which is known to be eco-friendly and natural. People mostly used it in making Mekhela Chador, but I thought of using Eri silk in pantsuits and dresses,” she adds.

Keeping community at the centre

Kintem, meaning ‘communities’ in the Ao-Naga dialect, was founded in 2023 by Moala Longchar, a former PR consultant who transitioned to textile design in 2018 by helping her mother in her textile business.“We take inspiration from the vibrant visual language and designs of Naga textiles, especially from the Ao-Naga tribe, reinterpreting traditional motifs and using the age-old loin loom technique, handloom and hand sewing the pieces together into a whole cloth. We saw the need to produce diverse designs that are not only commercially viable but also wearable,” she explains.

A race against time

Fashion designer Easternlight Zimik focuses on a traditional weaving technique called ‘backstrap weave’: After graduating from NIFT in 2017 and working with brands like Manish Arora and Gaurav Gupta, I started my brand in 2023 and thought of promoting this long-lost weave. Not many youngsters are interested in learning this weaving technique. It is time-consuming, they are not paid enough, and a lot of cheaper versions of this technique are available. My effort is to present these textiles in the most avant-garde way possible.”

A quiet revolution

“When I started off, there were very few designers from the Northeast marking their presence, but it is a welcome change to see, so many talented designers doing great work in reviving and promoting their traditional textiles and presenting them to a global audience,” says designer Jenjum Gadi.