A Native Affair : Namza Couture

For Padma Yangchan and Jigmet Disket, Namza Couture is a brand that creates a renaissance of traditional Ladakhi textile heritage. They both hail from Ladakh and although have different qualifications, the ultimate vision for them had been to start an impactful journey that would represent their value, passion and all things they love. That’s how the duo started Namza in 2016 and after that, there has been no looking back. The brand advocates curiosity and retains the silhouette of traditional Ladakhi clothing through an additional modern and easy-to-wear design.  TMM notes the vision and mission of the brand that is consistently working with the artisans of the Himalayas to revive the archaic textile and more.

Ladkahi Legacy
Ladakh is one of the richest sources of wool be it sheep wool, yak wool, camel wool or the famous Pashmina. Wool weaving has always been an integral part of Ladakhis. With the harsh climatic conditions of Ladakh, Nambu (woollen fabric) woven from indigenous sheep wool was one of the most commonly used fabrics for clothing in olden times. Other types of textiles include ‘Spuruk’ which is thicker than other woollen fabrics, also made from sheep wool but with different techniques and famously woven in the Zanskar region, ‘Chali’ made from Yak hair (which is separated from soft yak fibre) used for blankets, Reybos (Nomadic tents) are also made from yak hair, ‘Tsug den’ are carpets woven from sheep wool on a backstrap loom mostly by nomads from the Changthang region. Our wool sourcing is done mainly from the Changthang region as well as Nubra valley of Ladakh. Every region has its own traditional costumes that go back thousands of years, and designers often get inspired by their proud heritage, yet also want to modernize and make it wearable in today’s time. There is a continuous need to be versatile and be able to understand the choices of local people as well. And while working on it you always tend to bring your own aesthetics to the table. Being Ladakhis, we always get some element in a very subtle way acknowledging my own people who are as proud as anyone could be for their rich culture and heritage while balancing traditions with modernity.

Collection Call
Besides woollen fabrics, our label also works with other natural fibres such as cotton, linen, silk. From a minimal woollen cape to a heavy embellished bridal dress, one can find a variety of collection at Namza. Namza advocates curiosity and exploration spirit reshape, gets the silhouette of traditional Ladakhi clothing through a more modern and easy-to-wear design. It strives to keep the Himalayan clothing culture alive in terms of designing on the basis of retaining the original traditional elements and has continuously refreshed our collection in many ways by keeping the culture and heritage of Ladakh rooted as well as the impact of the silk route in the region.

Sustainable Sensibilities
Sustainable fashion is the need of the hour and issues regarding the negative impacts of the fashion industry need to be addressed at every table. It is important that we all work towards a sustainable fashion industry and reduce our carbon footprints. One of the essential parts of becoming sustainable is ensuring that the people in the supply chain are also benefitted. Namza is one of the few sustainable designer labels to develop a direct relationship with the source itself; with our own in house handloom production as well as community-based which connects a vast network of artisans of Ladakh. Namza was also curated by London Fashion Week in 2019 and also achieved the best sustainable collection award. For London Fashion Week (AW19), the collection was made from our naturally dyed, hand spun and hand woven woollen fabrics, thus promoting Indian textiles and sustainability. Besides our environmentally friendly homegrown fabrics, we are also trying to revive the local natural dyeing process.

Artisans Alert
The artisans of the Himalayas play an important role in our vast network of the supply chain. They are the pillars that support our handloom empire. Working hand in hand with them is the way forward. Having said that, we at Namza have been working with the artisans, especially our weavers to revive the old textiles as well as modify them to make it more suitable for today’s time as well as the climate. These weavers have also excelled in different weaving techniques, which earlier used to be limited to a specific design pattern. In olden times, Nambu (woollen fabric) was thick and heavy in weight and more favourable for the harsh climatic conditions in those times. But with time, climate change was inevitable and so the need to advance our textiles with it became imperative. This is where our spinners take over, with improving skills they have learnt to spin a thinner and finer fibre than those by previous generations. A regular Nambu fabric is about 12 to 14 inch in width but we have been able to introduce Nambu fabrics which are double in width and save a lot of time and fabric from the designing point of view. Besides woollen fabrics, we are consistently working with the artisans to create finer and luxurious shawls, be it of sheep wool, yak wool, camel wool or Pashmina.

FUTURE FILE
Our future plan has been to expand and grow organically. However, after the Covid situation last year, it has made everyone halt and think twice about the impacts and results of our actions. Nonetheless, we have few projects in the pipeline which was put on hold due to the pandemic. We are also planning to explore more towards our natural dyeing process and colour options.

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