School Uniforms of the Northeast
A closer look and you see that unlike other places, the regulated uniform specifies the colours of the fabric, but not the dress itself. And the female students from Class 8 onwards (high school and college) wear a variety of dresses in keeping with their ethnic identity and community affiliation.
What Do the Boys Wear?
To pick up the thread from where we had left off— School Uniforms of the Northeast.
The Story of Tejimola
A story that I return to again and again, its archetypal themes resurfacing at different points in my life, is that of Tejimola, the popular Assamese folktale.
Tales of Dimasa Threads
It is thread that binds us together, and a break in the thread that separates us
Rewind 2018: Hima Das’ Victory Gamoosa
How the symbolism of this humble, hand-woven textile became afresh a meaningful and moving thing as Das’ flag of honour and of Assam’s women weavers too
Rana and the Princess
How the shared pleasures of transformation through dress and styling unites women across social echelons
Writing as Weaving
How Shalim M Hussain’s poetry evokes the fabric of life in Lower Assam
The Colours of Protest
Black flags as protest against the state and how pieces of cloth become symbols in contemporary politics
Bihu and Bohaag: The Festival of Orchids and Love
Poetry, popular songs, even Whatsapp messages this season in Assam feature the kopou phool or foxtail orchid
Borrowed Textlies and the Price of Right Accessory
A year in fashion writing, weaving stories that mapped histories through the act of draping a piece of cloth