Fashion show to promote khadi, local handloom held

Staff Reporter

ITANAGAR, 13 Mar: The textile & handicrafts department on Saturday organised a fashion show here to promote khadi, silk, and local handloom and textile designs.

Local weavers and members of the Arun Kutir Society, Oju Mission, the Khadi & Village Industries Commission, Tribal Emporium, 3D Fashion, Khinam showroom and the sericulture department participated in the show.

Dresses of various tribes of the state were showcased by the models. Oju Mission used multiple designs of different tribes in one single dress, calling it a ‘mishran’ attire, weaved with mulberry silk.

More than 20 stalls, some by weavers from Jammu and Himachal Pradesh, were set up, showcasing handloom items.

Miss Arunachal 2020 Tengam Celine Koyu was the showstopper of the fashion show, decked up in a Nyishi traditional attire designed by designer Nabam Chunkap of the brand Choo Collection.

“The programme, which was planned to be conducted six to seven months ago, did not happen due to Covid,” informed Textile & Industries Secretary Swapnil Naik.

He said that the department made a profit of Rs 1.2 crore last year. “The main focus behind conducting such events is to promote local handicrafts using local talents, and promoting the idea of local for vocal,” he said.

Responding to a query on the exorbitant prices of local handloom items, the secretary informed that, “due to non-existence of newer technology and the labour intensive nature of the work, the rates are high.” However, he informed that “request has been made for allocation of budget and it is likely to be issued. Once it is done, the rates will get down.”

Among others, the governor’s secretary Bosco George and Textiles & Industries Chairman Rode Bui attended the event.