KHUMANTHEM

Grey Sheep

khumanthem_ne

Location

imphal / india

University

nottingham trent university school of art & design

Graduation year

2012

Contact

Richana Khumanthem was born and brought up in Imphal, a quaint little city tucked away in the northeast region of India. She has a Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design from National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi and a Master's degree in Fashion Business & Management from Nottingham Trent University, UK. Brought up in a community that follows Paganism, Richana grew up amidst fascinating folktales, myths and legends. This influence clearly shows through in her concepts as well as her design collections. Richana strives to bring the textiles of Northeast India, and Manipur in particular, to the forefront of both the national and international fashion industry. She BELIEVES this can be achieved only by bridging the gap between the local artisans and the consumers. Every piece of indigenous handloom has a story to tell. It is these stories, behind every motif, every textile that will ultimately be the binding force between the artisans and consumers, not as two separate strata of the same glamorous industry, but as one entity who understands, feels and cherish the depth and history behind every handloom creation.

Latest Collection

Anemoia

Definition: n. Nostalgia for a time you’ve never known

Ever been drawn towards an old photograph and caught yourself wondering where the people in it are now? Whether they are dead or alive? What they must have felt at the exact moment the photo was taken? Suddenly they become more than unknown people in a forgotten photograph. You start wishing to become part of the photograph, part of the lives that were led by its subjects. This feeling is known as Anemoia.

Khumanthem’s Spring Summer 2018 draws inspiration from precisely this feeling. The dull aching in the heart one gets when looking at museum artifacts, touched and used by so many people who’s path will never cross with ours. The sudden smile that comes upon our face when we come across handwritten notes in our second hand books. The feeling of inexplicable nostalgia one feels when running one’s hand over the weaves of an old beautifully crafted textile. Using age old techniques of weaving, the collection has been crafted keeping in mind the many lives that has touched and enhanced the art. Natural, muted colours are used as the base fabric, signifying the elusive and evasive nature of the feeling. Extra weft work in black signifies the strong emotion we experience when we feel anemoiac.

Previous collections

Thoi

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Latest Collection

Anemoia

Previous collections

Thoi

Back