Easternlight Zimik's fashion label EAST from Manipur, is a craft-led, sustainable initiative
The eco-conscious, homegrown fashion label EAST is the brainchild of NIFT Delhi alumnus Easternlight Zimik, who returned to his roots in Ukhrul, Manipur, to weave a story steeped in the history of his land. The brand is rooted in the loom-weaving traditions of the Tangkhul and neighbouring communities, translating them into slow, contemporary fashion. Naturally, his initiative has generated both employment and cultural pride. Recently, actor Sonam Kapoor was seen in an outfit by EAST at a dinner, which catapulted the brand to national fame. Easternlight shares his story with us. Excerpts:
How does being an artist help in your fashion designing process?
The artist and designer in me constantly inform and embel - lish each other. While the ‘artist’ pushes experimentation, storytelling, and emotion, the ‘brand’ demands discipline, structure, and responsibility towards my team and clients. In practice, the work with EAST takes priority, but that intuitive, artistic instinct fuels it, since one cannot exist meaningfully without the other.
If you had to define your brand, how would you do it?
EAST is a slow, craft-led label defined by three things: loinloom textiles, zero-waste thinking, and rooted storytelling. It began with a desire to build a system where our weavers could showcase their skills to the world and where traditional garments like the kashan and mekhela sador could elicit the same respect as any luxury fabric. Inspirations come from Ukhrul’s landscape, the every - day lives of our women weav - ers, and the political-emotional realities of the Nor theast, which often sit in the shadows of mainstream fashion.
How nationally visible are the designers from the Northeast now?
Their visibility is slowly improving, but still far from equal. Media highlights have definitely improved compared to earlier, but most designers from the region still lack access to infrastructure, media, and networks that designers from Delhi or Mumbai take for grant - ed. The next step has to be deeper, long-term investment in our ecosystems, not just occasional features.
How did the collaboration with Sonam Kapoor happen?
The Sonam Kapoor collaboration was a result of a genuine alignment rather than a publicty push. Her team discovered us and chose the Akha look from the Patrons collection, which she wore to an exclusive dinner in Mumbai. That single moment dramatically expanded our visibility, sparking national publicity and resulting in new clients from cities where no one had heard of Ukhrul till then. It also opened channels with stylists and editors across India for us.
Is reaching out to a larger national and global audience impossible without celebrity collaborations?
Celebrity collaborations are not the only way to reach a wider audience, but they can act as powerful accelerators. My experience shows that consistent work, strong storytelling, and community-first values build a solid base — EAST was already surviving on client support before Sonam wore us. However, when a celebrity with genuine influence chooses a small, craftled label, it can lead to a huge shift in how people perceive an entire region’s textiles.
How much are national and global buyers resonating with your label?
The pieces we make may look very rooted and local, but the emotions they carry — resilience, dignity, memory — are universal. International and national buyers are increasingly drawn to authenticity, handwork, and traceable stories; EAST speaks directly to that by offering garments that are wearable globally yet anchored in Tangkhul and Northeastern identity.
Do you have any dream collaborations in mind?
Dream collaborations are less about big names and more about shared ethics. Working with museums, cultural institutes, or design houses that are serious about archiving, research, and giving fair credit to artisans would be a priority. Beyond fashion, I hope to collaborate with educators, filmmakers, and writers to build a larger narrative around loin-loom weaving and Northeastern attire as part of India’s cultural canon.
How is your label helping build a sustainable economy?
EAST began with two weavers and has now grown to a close-knit group of around 10 artisans working across our studio and workshop in Ukhrul. Depending on the complexity of the weave, a single piece can take any - where from several days to a few weeks. Every thread is counted and woven by hand on the backstrap loom. This work is absolutely about upliftment, generating income in a conflict-prone and employment scarce district while keeping a fragile weaving tradition relevant for the next generation.
Tell us about your upcoming plans.
In the immediate future, we will continue evolving the Patrons collection and deepening the loin-loom language through new silhouettes, sets, and special pieces that travel beyond the Northeast. The larger plan is to move steadily towards a holistic ecosystem: a dedicated studio workshop, a learning hub for younger weavers, and eventually a cultural institute that houses textiles, research, and collaborative projects under one roof.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.