Models display outfits made of muga

Guwahati, Aug. 29: Wrapped in Assam?s golden fabric, muga, multi-racial Northeast is presenting a picture of sartorial unity.

From the Manipuri fanek to the Bodo dokhna and the Karbi pecock, traditional dresses of the region are being made with the fabric that had hitherto been restricted to Assamese mekhela-chador ensembles and saris.

The changeover is the result of research by Mega Concept, which manufactures and markets indigenous handloom products. Parag Kumar Bhattacharjee, the brain behind the innovation, described muga as the perfect fabric for fashionable traditional attire.

?During our research, we discovered that muga holds immense possibilities. Its adaptability and exquisiteness give designers ample scope to let loose their creativity.?

Bhattacharjee said faneks and dokhnas fashioned out of muga had already made quite an impact. ?Our immediate objective is to make muga the fabric for all seasons in the Northeast.?

Mega Concept has, however, been careful not to alter the essence of the traditional garments of various communities inhabiting the region.

Udalguri-based teacher Darshana Daimary, one of the many Bodo women to have taken a fancy to the muga dokhna, said she decided to buy one the moment she set her eyes on a piece created by the Mega Concept team. ?I really appreciate the attempt to make the dokhna look gorgeous by fashioning it out of muga. The dress has actually become less cumbersome to wear.?

Indeed, all the traditional muga dresses introduced by Mega Concept have been attracting buyers. ?Our introductory stocks flew off the shelves,? Bhattacharjee said.

Established in 2003 with the aim of popularising the fabric within and outside the region, Mega Concept has ensured a steady income for some skilled weavers who were previously on the brink of poverty. The handloom centre now employs as many as 362 weavers in the home of muga, Sualkuchi. Fashion, textile and graphic designers work in tandem with these weavers to reinvent muga in various ways.

Within two years of its launch, Mega Concept carved out a niche market for itself in New Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai, Kochi and several other cities of the country.

?We are now looking at the international market. We will first introduce our creations in the US and London, where a large number of Assamese reside. Our ultimate aim is to popularise muga across the globe. It deserves to be a fabric for all, irrespective of whether one is an Assamese or not,? Bhattacharjee said.