Manipur Designs For Land of Versace

Manipur Government pushes for designers to showcase indigenous couture on international ramp

Models at the fashion show, Living Looms, in Imphal on Friday.

Imphal, Aug 30 : Home-grown Manipuri designers are preparing to stitch up a storm in international couture when they travel to Italy and Germany with their designs later this year.

The Manipur Handloom Export Development Project, prepared to take the state’s designs to foreign shores, is being funded by the state planning board and undertaken by Manipur Development Society, a state government undertaking, and the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

“A team of Manipur Development Society and Indian Chamber of Commerce will be visiting Milan from September 9 to 12. We are taking the designers and their designs to find a market there. After Milan, the next visit is to Frankfurt in December. The project is taken up to export our handloom designs and find markets. We are hopeful that we will be successful in our attempt,” said chief secretary D.S. Poonia.

Before hitting the Milan ramp, the designers showcased their work at an event at a hotel in Imphal last night.

Titled Living Looms, the show had nine designers, selected from 20 applicants, displaying a riot of colours and a range of natural fabrics.

Academicians, army officers including GOC 57 Mountain Division Maj. Gen D.S. Hooda, experts in handloom and Manipur government officials formed the audience.

In between the catwalk, Manipuri singer Mandakini entertained the audience with Sakira’s Waka Waka, while another girl grooved to the number.

“The show and designs were quite impressive and after seeing the designs our confidence rose that our designs could now find buyers on foreign soils. The designs displayed today are good enough for the national standard,” Manipur Development Society project director Y. Ningthem said after the show.

The regional director of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Mahesh Deori, chipped in: “The ICC’s effort in the project is to upgrade the designs and link the designers with buyers. We will extend our full support to the project and Manipur government in the effort.”

The designers are confident too.

“Our apparels are made of silk and cotton and are eco-friendly. The dyes are natural and not have chemicals. We can find a market outside if there is support,” one of the designers, Memyo Ningomba, said.