Four local designers showcase traditional textiles and contemporary creations as UT seeks wider markets for artisans and Changthang’s pastoral communities
NEW DELHI: Ladakh’s Pashmina heritage took centre stage at Lakmé Fashion Week, partnered by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), with four designers and artisanal brands showcasing traditional textiles and contemporary creations inspired by the region’s cultural identity.
Titled “The Fifth Season: A Fashion Story from Ladakh”, the showcase was held on the concluding day of the fashion week at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi, on Sunday. It highlighted the craftsmanship of Changthang’s Pashmina-producing communities, bringing artisans and their work to a national fashion platform.
The presentation featured Namza by Padma Yangchan, Zilzom by Stanzin Palmo, Changra Ladakh by Deskit Angmo and Charkha Ladakh by Rigzin Yangdol. Their collections combined traditional materials and techniques with contemporary designs, drawing attention to the region’s handwoven textiles and indigenous craft traditions.
The showcase was enriched by a virtual address from Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, who stressed the need to connect traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design, entrepreneurship and wider markets. He said the benefits of growing recognition should reach Pashmina herders, weavers, craftspeople, women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups while preserving the authenticity of Ladakh’s traditions.
The presentation traced the journey of Pashmina from the high-altitude pastures of Changthang, at around 14,000 feet, to finished textiles. At the centre of this process are Changpa pastoralists, who rear indigenous Changra goats, and the artisans and women whose specialised skills transform the fine fibre into finished products.
A notable feature of the showcase was the participation of artisans from Changthang on the runway, highlighting the people and traditional knowledge behind Ladakh’s Pashmina industry. The organisers said the presentation sought to ensure that the communities sustaining the craft were recognised alongside the designers and brands taking it to wider markets.
Namza by Padma Yangchan opened the showcase with 18 ensembles featuring brocade fabrics and Pashmina, reinterpreting traditional textile elements through contemporary silhouettes. Zilzom by Stanzin Palmo presented 18 ensembles featuring self-designed silk prints inspired by Changthang’s landscapes, alongside contemporary interpretations of snambu, a traditional Ladakhi woollen textile.
Changra Ladakh by Deskit Angmo and Charkha Ladakh by Rigzin Yangdol presented handspun and handwoven Pashmina shawls, highlighting the region’s traditional production methods. Shalini Passi appeared as the showstopper in a gown designed by Zilzom, while the Dashugs band provided a live musical performance.
The initiative was conceptualised and facilitated by the Department of Industries and Commerce, UT Ladakh, under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) Scheme of the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with support from FDCI. It aims to improve the visibility of indigenous products, promote local designers and artisanal enterprises, and create opportunities for market access and sustainable livelihoods.
The department has also been supporting the craft sector through Common Facility Centres, skill-upgradation programmes, improved production facilities and assistance for traditional handloom enterprises. These efforts are intended to improve production quality, encourage innovation and help local communities retain greater economic value from their work.
For Changthang’s Pashmina-producing communities, this means strengthening the value chain from rearing Changra goats and collecting fibre to spinning, weaving, designing and marketing finished products. Greater local value addition could create opportunities for pastoralists, artisans, women and entrepreneurs.
The next step in this effort will be the Ladakh Pashmina Conclave, scheduled for October 23–24 under the RAMP Scheme. The event is expected to bring together producers, artisans, designers, entrepreneurs and buyers, with more than 50 stalls and over 100 entrepreneurs and buyers expected to participate.
The conclave will provide a platform for product displays, direct buyer-seller interaction and potential commercial partnerships. While the fashion week has offered Ladakh’s textile traditions wider visibility, the conclave is intended to help build market connections that can translate that attention into business opportunities.
Officials said the two initiatives were part of broader efforts to preserve Ladakh’s traditional crafts while linking them with contemporary design and expanding markets. The focus, it said, was on ensuring that the growing recognition of Ladakh Pashmina also creates sustainable livelihood opportunities for the communities that sustain it.
