Unique Traditional Fashion from Arunachal, India

MIFT Fashion Designers regard Arunachal Pradesh, India as the harbinger of World Fashion & Style. Chugba, Shingka, Khichin, Ngama-shom, Chupa, Mushaiks, Galuk etc have great impact on MIFT fashion designers. Arunachal Pradesh is original source of inspiration for MIFT Fashion Designers. 5 most interesting facts will make you love Arunachal. 

1. Unlike other part of country, there are more that 100 tribal societies & interestingly these tribes have distinct fashion culture and tradition. With over 100 sub tribes and the traditional costume is fixed for each tribe, But the basic form of a sleeveless chemise with an embroidered, full-sleeved jacket along with a wrap-around skirt is usually worn with different historical & traditional touch. The attire is almost always accompanied by a waistcoat.

2. Unlike rest of the world Rare Designs and Unique Accessories are wore by different tribal societies. Accessories are an important feature of the state’s traditions. A skull-cap filled with Yak hair, called ‘Gurdam’ is worn to add grace to the overall look, Also Nagma-shom type of headgear is used by men and women both. Shingka is a sleeveless gown of red color with white stripes; it is made of coarse endi. It is lifted and gridled round the waist by a red color sash called KHICHIN. CHUPA, a thick woolen cloak dyed red madder is worn in winter with KHICHIN. 

3. How many of us weave textile at home ? Arunachal Pradesh tribal has a strange custom in which females are leading in weaving at home. Usually warp is very dense and typically covers the weft, consequently the final woven textile become very bulky. The diverse patterns are exclusive to the ceremonies and festivals of different tribal community. Arrangement of red, black and white are vastly used to weave large stripes into the material by utilizing diverse colored yarns in the warp which are made from natural sources such as leaves, barks, roots and seeds of trees as well as from man-made chemicals.

4. While world follow Hollywood, Fashion Weeks & Technology for fashionable clothing, textile and accessories;   These tribes use ancient Geometric Patterns, such as Line, cross, Zig-Zag lines and angular shapes, floral and Zemorphic designs which seems much more futuristic and technically sustainable. Line, cross, Zig-Zag lines and angular shapes  are very common in tribes of Arunachal Pradesh mainly Adi, Mishmi and Apatani.

Moreover floral and Zemorphic designs are almost geometric form only. The plain straight lines, angular stripes, different bands and similar patterns are very easy to design thus more commonly used. Contrast arrangement of different colours is relatively trendy. The extremely well-organized Apatani and Adi Tribals prefer simple straight line; contrary to that Mishmis individualistic approach for life encourages them to prefer unusual permutation of dissimilar easy patterns. 

5. Sustainability is the major cause to respect traditional fashion & culture of Arunanchal Pradesh & its people. Ultra consumerism, Fast Fashion, Textile wastage, CO2 emission & pollution from textile mills, Excess use of water consumption in fiber and textile industry etc are only a few discouraging reasons which motivate world to learn sustainable, Eco-unfriendly, Economically viable and natural way of producing fibers, textiles and apparels from Arunachal Pradesh.

MIFT Research and Development analysis suggest that textile industry make roughly 10% of total CO2 emission