What: Eastern Fashion Legacy Chapter 1, in association with t2

Where: Hyatt Regency

When: March 12 and 13, 5.30pm onwards

Who’s showing...

I will present an eveningwear collection blending the East and West through prints, colours and motifs. It’s a great idea to put eastern designers on this kind of a platform. We have great talent which needs to be noticed.
—Atsu Sekhose 

I will send out a new range for men, which will be a blend of tradition and modernity. The concept is a winner for me. There was a time when eastern India was called the fashion backyard. Not anymore. There is a lot more of that untapped talent. 
— Sharbari Datta

We will show a linen and jute collection inspired by rhinos. The fabrics go well with our theme. The idea of the showing is wonderful. Eastern India has so much to offer in terms of heritage and culture. 
—Monapali 

My collection will revolve around ikat. It will be a complete summer range based on simple cuts, loose fit and bright colours. You will see shift dresses, tops, palazzos, kurtas and saris. Northeast fabrics are beautiful.
— Agnimitra Paul 

My collection is all about raw silk and pure cotton. I have also used a lot of home dyes straight out of the kitchen, like tea, turmeric and purple cabbage. This tradition of using natural dyes came from our ancestors. I am getting skirts, dresses and bags. I wanted to use Bhutanese textile and craft western designs from them. Anyone can wear them. It’s contemporary. 
— Chandrika Tamang

This event will be my first in Calcutta! I will show my Spring/Summer 2016 collection featuring lots of dresses and flowing silhouettes. All of my textiles are handwoven on a traditional Bhutanese back-strap loom. I’ve chosen light fabrics like silk, raw silk and cotton to keep the looks cool for the hot summer days. As with all my designs, I focus on merging tradition with innovation — traditional Bhutanese textiles redefined with a contemporary perspective, modern cuts and precise construction.

I love the idea of promoting culture and tradition through fashion, and I am proud to be able to represent Bhutan in this first-of-a-kind event. I think this is an excellent initiative that will highlight the rich textile histories throughout South Asia, and provide an international platform for all the fabric arts. The event will also be a great opportunity for designers to exchange ideas and be exposed to the many different indigenous patterns and techniques throughout the Asian region.
— Chimmi House of Design 

I will show my Autumn/Winter 2016 ethnicwear line based on Bengal weaves like jacquard of Kalna, loose weaves of Santipur and dobby of Nadia, among others. The ethnic Goth-inspired line will have lots of texturisation and dark colours like midnight blue, brown and black with delicate zardozi and rugged metal spikes and leather. 
— Abhishek Dutta

Host speak: We are extremely excited to partner with Eastern Fashion Legacy and to have got the opportunity to support what we believe will be one of the most important trades of the East. 
— Britta Leick-Milde, general manager, Hyatt Regency

The mastermind

Somehow over this one year, I realised that designers from the East who are so good only get recognised when they show on national platforms like Mumbai and Delhi. And in spite of the riot of colours and heritage, the East remains unrepresented. I thought, why not try and establish something that will only focus on the East and our neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Nepal.... That’s what we have done. We have told the designers to use fabrics that originate from the East. Let’s expose what we have in our heritage. We’ll have a huge 45m ramp, well-known models and the crowning glory is Kelly Dorji walking the ramp after so many years. We are also expecting Dev to walk the ramp. Nayanika Chatterjee will do the choreography.

— Arijit Dutta, who has conceptualised the Eastern Fashion Legacy