NOW in its eighth year, the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival, an initiative by the India-Bhutan Foundation and literary consultancy, Siyahi, will see designers such as Abraham and Thakore of India, and Chimmi Choden and Chandrika Tamang of Bhutan weighing in on the importance of fashion
in literature. The three designers will also showcase their latest range of handwoven garments, crafted from khadi and silk. “The fashion segment will focus on the significance of history and culture in South Asia, where traditional forms of clothing and their contemporary avatars continue to adorn the public. It will also bring forth the portrayal of fashion in mainstream and social media,” says Mita Kapur, CEO, Siyahi and Festival Producer. We talk to the designers, who tell us more.
Chandrika Tamang
Founder, CDK
How is fashion relevant in the world of literature?
I believe that literature and fashion go hand in hand because of the stories they tell. Each design, each outfit I create has a story — whether it’s about the history of my country or a fable about the fabric we are using.
Tell us about the collection you are showcasing at the festival.
The collection is called DAR, the flag. It has 10 dresses, out of which the first five are inspired by the bright colors of the Buddhist flag. The collection will use handwoven textiles and gets its name from the five elements. Each dress is designed according to the significance of the elements. Additionally, the fading colour of the flags is considered auspicious so the five other dresses in my collection will have light colours dyed naturally in raw silk.
How is the essence of your culture reflected in the collection?
My collection will be a mix of traditional Bhutanese designs, created using an amalgamation of Indian and Bhutanese fabrics. The inspiration for this collection lies in the five colors that we see almost everywhere in Bhutan — in our flags, paintings, embroidery etc.
What are you expecting from the festival?
I am looking forward to showcasing my interpretation of Bhutan and India’s shared design traditions.
Chimmi Choden
Founder, Chimmi House of Design
How is fashion relevant in the world of literature?
Fashion design is an art form that indicates high artistic abilities—just like writing. Mountain Echoes provides a platform that fuses artistic modalities to give the audience a more multi-dimensional experience and create new opportunities for creative expression, whether it’s on the page or the runway.
Tell us about the collection you are showcasing.
The collection is a fusion of Indian handloom khadi with Bhutanese textiles woven on a traditional back-strap loom. The garments are inspired by traditional Bhutanese dress: we’ve reworked the square tego jacket and wonju blouse. We’re using very traditional patterns on the textiles, but the cuts and construction are modern and wearable.
How is the essence of your culture reflected in the collection?
If you visit the villages in rural Bhutan you will see that most of the households own a loom. The majority of the older generations of Bhutanese women weave, but many of the younger generations are losing interest in the craft. This is why CHIMMI House of Design is dedicated to continuing the evolution of the art and ensuring that our weaving culture remains relevant in modern Bhutan.
David Abraham & Rakesh Thakore
Founders, Abraham & Thakore
How is the coming together of fashion and the written word significant?
Fashion can form the face of the identities that we assume. It cannot be interpreted solely as an exclusive and elitist space. It encompasses the choices in clothing that we all make to define our place in a society. Like literature and the written word, it is also an expression of both the individual and social constructs that society is constantly evolving. Both represent some of the many ways of communication that we share and exchange.
Tell us about the collection you are showcasing at the festival.
We are showing a collection made from Rajasthan khadi fabrics, woven and spun using the most traditional and ancient of manufacturing skills but made contemporary and relevant through fashion. We believe that khadi which is handwoven from handspun yarn is an ideal metaphor for the power of handmade goods that are both beautiful and relevant in the industrial and highly technological age we live in.
What were some of the challenges of creating the collection?
Khadi fabric has certain structural qualities which need to be understood. These technical aspects must be acknowledged to get a fabric to perform in a particular way. So, while on the one hand, the design approach requires a sensitive handling of the fabric, we also believe that design for fashion must strike a contemporary note.
What are you expecting from the festival?
We see this as an important opportunity to show how textiles form strong links bet-ween cultures. Fashion is a language that speaks to people around the world and is a marker of social change and identity.
August 24-27. At Thimphu, Bhutan. Details: mountainechoes.org