Tetseo Sisters

Kuku, Mercy, Azi, Lulu - folk singers from Kohima, Nagaland. Photographed at Hornbill Festival in December ’12. 

“The white shawl on Azi & Lulu is Mhusu Khwu or young girl’s shawl. Mercy & Kuku are wearing Chipi Khwu – the chief of chiefs’ shawl or the shawl of merit.

The big necklace is called Tida(rich man’s necklace) - it’s passed from one generation to the other. Tida in Chokri means massive necklace. You get it from your mother when you hit puberty. Before that you only wear Tiza, a string of carnelians – common for both men and women.

The moment you are born your parents claim your soul by giving you Vokha - a necklace which is short in length, a choker of beads(worn as a head band).

The quills are made of porcupine spine.” Mercy’s words.

I first met and photographed the three sisters at the Péro stall at fashion week in Delhi more than a year ago. They also hosted me back in Kohima. I hung out with them almost every day. They knew all the thrift shops. We went cafe hopping & grocery shopping…

More stories later.

Note: They are in Bombay and are making their debut at Folk Nations, Blue Frog later today at 6pm. Listen to their stuff here. Come.

Photos from Kisama, Nagaland. Pragati Maidan, Delhi. Local Grounds, Kohima. A room in Mokokchung. Night Market, Kohima.

Backstage|WIFW AW12

Anand Bhushan AW12.
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Nachiket Barve AW 12.
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Rishta AW12 by Arjun Saluja.
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Péro AW12.
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Raakesh Agarwal AW12.
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Akaaro AW12 by Gaurav Jai Gupta.
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Photos from the AW 12 shows at WIFW earlier this year. WIFW SS 13 starts in a week from now — from 6th to 10th October. 

Schedule: Nachiket Barve 4.30pm October 8. Rishta 5.45pm October 8. Anand Bhushan 4.30pm October 9. Péro 5.45pm October 9. Hoping to make it to Delhi..and the shows.

James Lalthanzuala

“I’ve always had a keen and meticulous eye which inhibits me to settle for anything ordinary at work, in society, and in my personal lifestyle – both past and current. Although I feel I’m too imperfect to call myself a perfectionist, let me describe myself as “a dictator of style” mostly but not limited to fashion.

I grew up in Aizawl, Mizoram. I studied fashion styling at Mod’art International in Delhi . I’m 25 years old.

In Aizawl, the weather is pleasant all throughout the year. People are very warm and affectionate. They are straightforward, hard-working, honest people with high standards of integrity.

Adaptation of latest trends both in fashion and lifestyle, especially from the west, is very quick in Aizawl. Fashion is not just limited to clothes; it extends to all aspects of life, be it the house, the car, the bike, gadgets, etc. When it comes to fashion and an extravagant lifestyle, Aizawl has a thing or two to teach the others.

I usually go back home for Christmas/New Year and sometimes in summer to get away from the heat.

I’ve been living in Delhi for 6 years. I dont have a particular shopping place, I shop anywhere — mostly at street markets like Sarojini, Lajpat Nagar etc… I love Delhi because you see different people from all over the country living here, making it a city of mixed cultures. What I dislike about Delhi is: hot weather, chaotic traffic, and corrupt auto drivers.”

Photographed at Wills India Fashion Week in Delhi this February. He is wearing thrifted clothes.

A Patchwork of Textiles: Péro FW’12

Photos from Péro FW 12 backstage+stall area at WIFW.

Kuku wearing Péro. Is a musician from Nagaland. Was hanging out at Péro stall with other Tetseo Sisters promoting their new album Li: Chapter One. Check their blog here where they talk about music, clothing, and life.

“Péro’s fall-winter 2012 collection is a patchwork of textiles from various parts of India- khakis from West Bengal, ikats from Andhra Pradesh, pashminas from Kashmir, and woven wool from Kumaon.”

Péro means ‘to wear’ in Marwari, the local language of Rajasthan. I previously documented Péro at LakmeFashionWeek in 2010. See here.

The label is owned by Aneeth Arora, a textile/dress maker. She is mostly inspired by the clothing styles of local people & considers them to be the real trend-setters of our times.

Abraham & Thakore

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“Low key and finely crafted. Modern design drawn from rich traditions.”

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A&T is a Delhi based label headed by David Abraham, Rakesh Thakore, & Kevin Nigli. At the heart of every single A&T creation is the weave. They prefer working with natural fabrics & their sensibility is contemporary & clean.

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Abraham & Thakore have been around in the industry for about 20 years and they never did a fashion show till 2010. David Abraham called their first show a marketing exercise of sorts. A sari from their (AW’10) collection just reached  V&A. It is part of a permanent collection at V&A that also consists of designs from Chanel & Dior. Read more here.

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David Abraham always knew he wanted to design clothes. He went to NID where he studied Textile Design with Rakesh Thakore(who is said to have an unmatched knowledge of fabric). Rakesh Thakore grew up on a 4000 acre farm in Tanzania. “The film Hatari was shot there,” he remembers. “There were cows, pigs, poultry, sheep and other animals. And we grew plenty of flowers, fruits and vegetables….

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At NID, in a class of 6 people, each student had a loom and had to weave every day. There were no exams, no grading. Students were evaluated on projects. One day we would be given cameras and told to go into the city and take photographs. Another day, we would watch world cinema, back to back, from morning to night…” Read more here.

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A&T’s first order was for a collection of scarves and kimonos for The Conran Shop, London. They began selling in India only in the late nineties. Now they stock at A&T stores in Delhi, Bombay, and Bangalore+ are also available at: Bombaim, Hot Pink, Ensemble, Evoluzione, Elahe, Kimaya, Melange, Ogaan, Rudraksh, Palette, Tijori(Oberoi Hotels).

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They also recently did a series of home textiles for the design trade show Maison & Objet, Paris. Read more about the Maison-Objet here.

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These photos are from their SS’12 collection..photographed at their stall at WIFW in October. This collection emphasized on intricate artisanal work, layers, and textures.

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They are showing again this time at WIFW. Their winter collection is defined as a fresh take on the classics of menswear re-invented for a contemporary Indian woman’s wardrobe. Their show is at 20:15 on Feb 17.

Ela|Preview

There was nothing else in this stall. Just these few pieces huddled together in a corner..and a potted plant.

Ela by Joyjit Talukdar. His show is on 10th Oct 12.45 pm at Wills India Fashion Week.

Tribe|Preview

“Pret in silk, chiffon, organza, lightweight dull crepe, and lasercut georgette. Animal skin textures and patterns are recreated in Anand Bhushan’s signature ornate surface styles. Drape, soft tailoring, roomy bodycon, & options for varying frame are constructed in precise proportions….a chic harmony of surface and shape.”

Anand Bhushan is showing his collection Tribe at Wills India Fashion Week 2011 at 2p.m. on 11.10.11. Come.