Northeast couture, at the cutting-edge

The best way to make a mark is not through official patronage, which can seem patronising, but by catching the eye in a more organic, striking way. The northeast has been usually depicted as a kind of post-Orientalist curio. So, when two events last weekend brought the northeast under a different kind of spotlight, the depiction was refreshing.

First was the presence of legendary designer - famous for his stiletto footwear with its signature red-lacquered soles - Christian Louboutin at the annual Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. Louboutin, on his second visit to the state, had already earlier shared his discovery of 'exceptional savoir-faire and great artisans in Nagaland'. As a guest this time, he investigated Naga fabrics and patterns, and Nagaland's potential for providing high-end couture creations for a global clientele.

On a similar note of highlighting an underrated aspect of northeastern enterprise, at last week's Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav in New Delhi, which showcases the region's textile, artisanal and geographical indication products, Union communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and MoS for education Sukanta Majumdar - also Scindia's colleague in the northeastern region development ministry - walked the ramp in off-white regional 'designer' jackets with scarf and cravat.


Apart from the pleasant surprise of two mantris stepping out from the usual cliches of officialese, the fact that they were wearing their job of promoting northeastern creativity and enterprise on their sleeves was noteworthy. It's by showing the northeast's capabilities, rather than merely telling it, especially via high-visibility and high-value partnerships, that the region can spring away from stereotypical depictions and into a cutting-edge one.