TribAttire bridges the great divide between Northeast and mainland India via fashion

TribAttire, a sartorial venture by entrepreneurial activist Dolanchapa Bhattacharyya, intends to bridge the cultural gap between Northeast and mainland India through fashion.
Products by TribAttire: Magic of Weaving. (Photo| EPS)
Products by TribAttire: Magic of Weaving. (Photo| EPS)

The adventures of Asterix and Obelix', a comic book series, has entertained generations across the world. Perhaps, one of the most poignant of said adventures was Asterix and the Great Divide, not least because it was the first adventure written by illustrator Alberto Uderzo, after the death of his co-creator René Goscinny.

It is a story about two different, somewhat similar spaces existing during the same time, and having to learn how to co-exist since they’re connected by a narrow, contentious bridge.

The mainland and North East India are aligned due to the Siliguri corridor, the much-maligned chicken’s neck of Indian geopolitics. Without getting into specifics, let's say there is a distinct divide. With her brand titled TribAttire: Magic of Weaving, journalist-turned-entrepreneurial activist Dolanchapa Bhattacharyya, hopes to bridge that in many ways.  

Weaving a thread

"As someone who was, and still is in a sense, a journalist, the business aspect is really in the background. I want to showcase these woven products to the world, because the people who do the actual weaving are perfectly fine staying in their homes and villages," shares Bhattacharyya.

Absorbing the wear and tear of the social fabric during her stint as a journalist has enriched her understanding of the rich ethnic fabrics of Indian tribal communities. Her journey had begun from the small gem that is the North Eastern state of Tripura, where her in-laws reside. Out of sheer interest, Bhattacharyya began exploring the indigenous fabric of Tripura's tribal communities, meeting the weavers and eventually realising the huge gap in the market.

Even before TribAttire began, Bhattacharyya was immersing herself into the sartorial traditions of the North East. "I found all these amazing means of weaving, which these tribal communities have been practicing since who knows when, Because these communities are so isolated, they’re happy to keep that knowledge to themselves as there is no commercial angle to it," she shares.

Bhattacharyya did take some things back, mentioning "I remember I had gone to this party around three years ago, wearing the traditional wrap around skirt, called the puan, woven by Manipuri tribals, which I had altered to my style. People were utterly fascinated, and even more so when they learned that it was woven using organic, raw vegetable products," recalls Bhattacharyya.

As she notes, that soon evolved into orders ("earlier, I would just find stuff for myself, and for friends who requested the items I’m wearing"), and it was finally last year that Bhattacharyya took the plunge, and started a brand.

Timeless elegance

While her focus may be on the northeast, Bhattacharyya realised this is a model that can be used to showcase other unknown tribal art forms to the greater public. She has since gotten in touch with tribal communities from Gujarat to Chhattisgarh.

Eschewing transitional trends and 'hot takes', TribAttire instead prides itself on being timeless, as the origins of the garments are, and while they may occasionally show how they can fit in, they will always stand out.

"It is a mission to popularise authentic tribal ethnic fabrics and help the weavers save their rich but almost extinct artworks. At 'TribAttire', our aim is to make your choice simpler with a blend of elegance. We want to support sustainable fashion that will connect you to nature," concludes Bhattacharyya.

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The New Indian Express
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