Shillong, Sept. 13: Come Saturday, designer Rupert Wanlambok Lynrah will showcase a collection of traditional Khasi-Jaintia attire with a modern twist at the London Fashion Week.
Through his fashion house RWL Designs, Lynrah is celebrating sustainable eco-fashion to revive the indigenous textiles of Meghalaya by featuring ryndia (eri silk) and muga silk, which are natural, organic and eco-friendly.
Traditionally, weaving has been the main source of income for women in rural Meghalaya.
Weavers have used the time-honoured loin looms, back-strap looms and flying shuttle looms.
However, in view of the decreasing demand for these exquisite, labour-intensive creations, weavers have been giving up their age-old traditions in search of other avenues.
Speaking about the green message he is taking to London, Lynrah said, "The textile industry is one of the most polluted in the world. Organic is not a fad but is a social issue that one has to continue as a tradition. We can't have it here today and gone tomorrow. It has to be at the core of our being."?
RWL Designs was launched in 2012 to promote the traditional attire of the Khasi-Jaintia people.
Lynrah, who hails from Shillong, aquired nearly a decade of experience in the fashion industry before launching his own boutique.
He was invited to exhibit his designs in London after taking part in this year's North East India Fashion Week.
Elaborating on the ryndia featured in his designs, the 37-year-old said, "The ryndia is our traditional indigenous textile that comes from a silkworm reared by rural people in Meghalaya. Ryndia is warm in winter and cool in summer, just how a natural product is supposed to be. Because of its rustic nature, ryndia might look lifeless, but if you give the fabric a form and a twist with some overlay, like embroidery or some lace detail like I have done, it can raise the value of the product," he said.
His Ethnicity with a Mod Twist collection features jainsems, worn by Khasi and Jaitia women, as well as designs inspired by the 1960s with elements that represent his cultural roots.
A second collection, Hollywood Glamour, is an assortment inspired by glamorous Hollywood showstoppers like Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Vivien Leigh featuring a true red carpet collection of heavily embellished gowns.
Other designers at the Fashions Finest event in central London's Covent Garden this weekend will come from the UK, Singapore, the Netherlands, Italy and the US.
With so many designers at the London Fashion Week, Lynrah feels the ryndia will make an impact.
"It's something that will catch the public eye, though I'm going there with an open mind. As a designer I would love to showcase my work to the public and I want the collection to be remembered by the people. That being said, it's just an honour to promote our cultural traditions through my work and I hope I do justice to it," Lynrah said.
