Pashmina & wool in spotlight at Ladakh textile exhibition

The colours, textures, and traditions of Ladakh have travelled far beyond the mountains to a new exhibition in Delhi. Showcasing Ladakhi textiles, Between Wind And Wool: Ladakh Design Today is currently on display at the Innovation Gallery at the National Crafts Museum & Hastakala Academy. The exhibition, part of the Innovation Gallery housed within Textile Gallery II: Tradition & Innovation – a platform dedicated to contemporary interpretations of India’s craft traditions – highlights the evolving textile and design legacy of the region.

Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta was the chief guest at the event and inaugurated the exhibition along with the guest of honour, Amrit Raj, Development Commissioner (Handicrafts). Curated by Sunil Sethi, Chairman of FDCI, with support from his team, the exhibition explores how contemporary designers from Ladakh engage with textiles. Wool and pashmina form the foundation of this textile culture, and the exhibition features works by designers including Padma Saldon, Jigmat Norbu and Jigmat Wangmo, Padma Yangchan, and Stanzin Palmo.

Ladakh beyond the landscapesPadma Saldon, one of the participating designers, shares that this exhibit (on the left) is like a mood board for her. “It is the amalgamation of different Ladakhi cultures. Starting with the silhouette, it is as it is. I have tried to incorporate all the colours from the monasteries of Ladakh. And the motifs are also auspicious symbols in our ceremonies. And along with that, the cloak you see, it is called bok ; that is something we wear during ceremonies. I have tried to pick up different elements from different parts of Ladakh and combine them together to represent this piece,” said the designer.

She added, “Ladakh has so much to offer other than the landscape, which is, of course, beautiful, but I am trying to shine a light on textiles. Since it is a travel destination, people see the locals wearing the traditional dress, but as a designer, I try to promote it.”

Craft without mythsDesigner Stanzin is redefining Ladakhi pashmina by bringing its true texture and craft to the forefront. She said, “The pieces on display here are made from local sheep wool and pashmina shawls. These shawls are thicker – handspun and hand-woven with hand embroidery. Usually, they are not embroidered in plain form, but I wanted to introduce an innovation, because embroidery is never done on Ladakhi pashminas. So I have collaborated with Kolkata artisans, incorporating pitta and zari work, combining craft traditions from two different regions. This exclusive pashmina shawl collection is meant to educate people that pashmina is not supposed to pass through a ring, and it has to go through a proper lab test. Not all pashmina is supposed to be thin. I wanted to send a message that this is also Ladakhi pashmina.”

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