HT Correspondent
GUWAHATI, Feb 19: The 16th edition of ‘Celebrating North East’ comprising music, art, fashion and culture, came to a glorious end on February 19 at New Motibagh Club, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. Organised by NEIFT, in association with Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Textile, Ministry of DoNER, the three-day festival attracted a fantastic crowd, including culture professionals, students, fashion and music enthusiasts, government representatives, and who’s who of the industry.
While local artistes from the North East region captivated the audience with their live performances on the first two days, the closing day saw one of India’s oldest and most popular Sufi bands — Nizami Bandhu & Band — enthralling the audience with their soothing soulful numbers. Other activities included dance recitals, fashion shows by designers Parineta Borah, Jahnavee Swargiyari, Anamika Deka, Prity Chakraborty, and Gona Niji, and local stalls exhibiting regional handicrafts, handloom, food products. However, the highlight on all three days was the region’s stellar collection of sustainable fashion.
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Commenting on ethical fashion and this year’s focus, Organizer of Celebrating North East Vikram Rai Medhi said, “The face of NER handloom is changing fast and the future looks very hopeful. In our 16th edition of ‘Celebrating North East’ 2023, we focused on sustainable fabrics of the North East and the designers created beautiful ensembles highlighting the unique weaves and crafts of our region. We plan to create inroads of our traditional textiles to the international fashion Scenario and our forthcoming editions will travel international locations soon.”
He added that sustainable fashion is the direction the industry must move towards, the fashion industry alone accounts for 8-10 % of global CO2 emissions. “Handmade natural fibre fabrics have smaller carbon footprints because of the reduced electricity demand, and the dyes used are either organic or natural. Hence, handlooms are eco-friendly and prove to be a sustainable alternative. Both at the governmental and private level, continuous gathering of statistical information are needed to comprehend the actual situation with regards to production, quality and markets. This can be further leveraged for the development of policies at the local and national organisations which can stand for the handloom sector,” noted Medhi.
A ‘National Institute of Fashion Technology’ alumni, Parineta Borah has been devotedly working under her label JAPPI since 2013. Her collection ‘The Modern Women’ at the festival showed new-age modernity with lots of fluidity in the garments. “As a designer I am trying to use the local handlooms to focus more on the North Eastern textiles, weaves, and artisans. North East is rich on textiles and by bringing the local handlooms in support of the weavers I could bring a change by uplifting the fashion senerio and also upgrade the economic condition of the local artisans. I have used traditional weaves of Assam with a combination of tie and dye; this collection is a pure amalgamation of elements fused together to create a look for the modern women,” said Borah.
While designer Albert Marak showcased the natural beauty and rich culture, customs, and beliefs of Meghalaya through his designs, well-known fashion designer Gona Niji, who has been projecting rich cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh for last many years with her unique creations, this time presented a fascinating collection inspired by tattoos on face that celebrate the wild and free at heart, bold and independent women with careers who all share one thing in common is to ‘spread love’. In Niji’s words, “It was a Herculean task to execute the designs as the concept is quite unique. I have put my heart and soul into it and I am glad to see my designs being appreciated. I’m thankful to Vikram Rai Medhi for giving me this opportunity to present my collection.” Another highlight on the concluding day was the special NEIFT Black Collection that showcased a stunning ensemble of the region’s weaves in innovative designs.
‘Celebrating North East’ has left a big impact in Delhi-NCR by showcasing North East India’s vibrant and rich heritage, traditions, and treasures through social cohesion and cultural integration.
