Jigmat Couture: High Fashion from the Land of High Passes

As the daughter of a woman who was once a fashion designer, I’ve been reminded throughout my life about the unquestionable importance of fashion.

“You claim to not care about fashion, Himani, but let me tell you: every item of clothing you pick up, whether at Burberry or on Commercial Street, is an expression of yourself.”

When writing about oneself, one must strive to be truthful. I make no attempt whatsoever to prize modesty over truth. So let me tell you that my mother’s creations were appreciated for their high quality finish and Indo-Western styles which, back then, were pioneers in the upcoming arena of Fashion Design in India.

I admit I didn’t get it at first. As I watched my mom spend hours painstakingly pour over sketches and nag her workers on the detail of every single outfit she designed, I didn’t see the point of it. You must remember that I was a mere child at the time. My Weekender branded clothing sufficed. I was unaware of the high quality of clothing displayed in my mother’s boutique, unaware completely that we had customers such as Boney M (remember the guys who sang “Daddy Cool”, “By the Rivers of Babylon”, and “Rasputin”?) and Indian actresses Jaya Prada and Mandakini. Till date, we get phone calls and visits from old customers who tell my mother, “what a shame you don’t make clothes anymore, Ahalya. I still have some of you pieces from over twenty years ago and they don’t look a day old!” Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit my mother’s impeccable sense of style, but I was most definitely influenced by it, especially with my buying choices. Took some time though…

“Quality over quantity, Himalu”, my mom would tell me, shaking her head and tut-tutting at all the Zara/H&M/Forever 21 merchandise that I had accumulated over my first year in America. My mother has some pretty high standards and needless to say, mass-produced retail clothing didn’t come anywhere near to those standards.

A day after my birthday, I decided to treat myself to something else apart from all the booze I’d been fed. I wandered around Leh Market and finally (intentionally) found my way to Jigmat Couture, located opposite to the District Library and Maska Chaska Dosa House. (I’m South Indian, of course I had to give you that little bit of detail).

I’m welcomed by the quiet smell of incense, whose fragrance I cannot place, and warm lighting. The boutique has been done up in Ladakhi style interior design with just a touch of European decadence on the armchairs and framed photographs hanging on the walls. I sift through the collection of bright silks and cottons before moving on to the heavier winter coats located towards the back of the store. I wince at the price tags but with the knowledge that every piece was underpriced, given the exquisite workmanship and uniqueness of each one. (Definitely something my mom would approve). No, seriously, you don’t find quality and workmanship even nearly matching up to this even in the Lakme India Fashion Week.

What draws one to these pieces is their sheer simplicity: natural dyes, fine silk or silver thread embroidery, and the precious gem embellishments carefully set upon hand woven woolens, pashminas, angora, just to name a few. All the coats on the rack are just samples. You choose the one you like, the lining you want (silk, cotton pashmina, etc.), customize the coat the way you want (for example, if you want a hidden pocket, or a brocade that’ll match a specific clutch you have in mind), and then voila, you have your coat ready in two weeks.

Acho Norbu laughs, “foreigners tell us that we should be charging higher for custom, tailor-made items. Only in India will you find that machine-made is higher priced than handmade.”

Meet Jigmat Norbu and Jigmat Wangmo – the designer duo behind Jigmat Couture. Both graduated from NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology) and worked with many major national and international brands before coming back to Ladakh in 2010, to set up their own fashion label.

“It’s every designer’s dream to have his or her very own fashion line. In our case, we are working towards the revival of Ladakhi textiles. If one generation doesn’t practice the art then it’s lost. Now we find that the synthetic is in, and the natural is out.”

Rolls of textiles, coming from all corners of Ladakh, line a wall at the back of the room. Although there have been offers to mass-produce the cloth using a machine loom, they have been turned down in favour of quality and preservation of the art of hand loom textile production.

“The plan is to build a Textile Resource Center, by the year 2016, in our family home that we plan to restore. It’s located in Skynos Gogsum, in the Old Town area.”

The Textile Resource Center, Acho Norbu says, will be a “Textile Hub” and museum that explores the past, present, and future of textiles. An “in-house” workshop of these indigenous practices, that also provides room for discussion and experimentation with new weaving techniques, designs and the like, thus providing a more immersive experience for interns from NIFT and NID, and all those interested in textile production.

In the meantime, I’m delicately shuffling through the Ladakhi bridal wear that’s on display. It makes me wish I could have my own Ladakhi winter wedding.

“Many clients buy Ladakhi capes, hats, and mogos either to wear or frame. One client from Bombay told me she would wear the mogos like a gown!”

Silver Prints developed by French Photographer Sebran D’Argent. This photo shoot was conducted in the heritage home and by Tsokar Lake. 

And truly, all these creations are works of art. It isn’t just about the fusion of east and west through design, but also the weaving of different Ladakhi textiles together. The Jigmat’s, with their penchant for the promotion and preservation of Himalayan cultural heritage, are also spearheading the fashion industry with their bold and fresh creations. For the first time, Indian winter wear goes beyond the woolen Kashmiri coat. I hope that this post, though just a small contribution, will help spread the word of the talent and expertise of this dynamic duo.

“Our son Jigmat Tanzin is in the same line of work we are. He’s a baby model for Huggies diapers!”

Jigmat Couture also has an online store! Go on to http://www.jigmat.com for more information. It isn’t working right now but it’ll be up and running soon enough!

jigmatcouture@gmail.com

+91 1982-255065