Respecting The Roots
The biggest development in the fashion industry in the recent years has been sustainable fashion. Which not only implies the use of natural fabrics but also encouraging economic development of a community by inspiring them to go back to traditional art of weaving. It will not be an exaggeration to say that Daniel Syiem has shown the world that a lot can be done with traditional hand woven fabric. His western silhouettes are well known for its unique construction, detailing and free-flowing drapes. All his eclectic designs are made from 100% natural and chemical free fabric that is both skin and environmental friendly. He even sources the dyes naturally. The biggest contribution of Daniel is the introduction of Ryndia, an organic fabric that is handwoven by the Indigenous weaver tribes that reside in the villages of Meghalaya especially in the Ri-Bhoi district. Ryndia caught the imagination of his international clientele, thus he launched his label in Rome, London, New York and Toronto. He also showcased his designs at prestigious platforms like Fashion International, London Fashion Week 2015, Couture Fashion Week, New York 2014. In 2000 he had won the the North East Best Designer Award and has featured his collections in several national and international runways. He is truly a passionate champion of ethical and ethnic fashion and has shown the world that a traditionally woven fabric has a high pedestal in the world of high fashion. Traditional weaving he says is ‘slow fashion’ but the outcome is authentic and naturally beautiful.
Shillong which was so far the rock capital of India has also become the fashion capital. All due to the efforts of Daniel Syiem who had established his label ‘Daniel Syiem Ethnic Fashion House’ with partner Janessaline Pyngrope (who was featured in Fox Traveller’s What’s With Indian Women, Shillong Chapter). His collection not only incorporates weaving patterns of the tribes of Meghalaya but also of the neighbouring Northeast states. Simplicity and minimalism is Daniel’s signature style and his creations are an extension of his personality and philosophy.
In a candid interview a very humble and versatile Daniel Syiem reveals his thoughts about sustainable fashion and importance of the art of traditional weaving-
Your design label is well known for combining natural fabrics with western design aesthetics, so what are the hottest trends have you incorporated in your collection?
DS: Firstly, the name of the collection is Shakilum, this is the new collection we did for the Lakme Fashion Week. This show was called the Northeast Mojo . It was an attempt to promote North eastern fabrics and textiles. There were five designers representing each state which were Sikkim, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya. In the collection this time we used the same handwoven fabric from Meghalaya, but the whole idea behind the collection was that it was a spring summer collection which inspires people to escape to the hills and that’s what Shakilum means. we usually design for women, but this time we created gender fluid or androgynous collection with a few looks for men as well. All the fabrics are natural and handwoven. The strong gender fluid collection featured power shoulders, power drop shoulders, layered collars and shift tops for men with layered collars. The jacket lining is done with a same fabric but with a different colour tone. The colour palette was a touch of mustard yellow with a background of grey and white.
Since the wedding season is at full swing, what are your fashion tips for the would be brides? What are the colours you will suggest for the special day?
DS: For me, since I belong to the Christian community, I do a lot of wedding gowns. Other than the bride who usually wears white, off-white and ivory but with the spring coming in I would suggest a lot of pastel shades and earthy hues. I have never seen the bridesmaid and the flower girls in Shillong wear earthy hues like beige and brown with a hint of gold. I will like to keep the look minimal, more structured with clean cuts and good finishing.
Your signature style is fluid and out of the box with the use of clean lines, classic drapes, unique necklines and minute detailing. When it comes to experimenting, what are the other cuts and fabric construction are you looking into?
DS: We have done a lot of deconstruction which I have never tried before like the use of power drop shoulders, jackets and layered collars. We had many structured jackets, flowing drapes like flowy dresses and shirt dresses. That was the look of the season.
The use of natural breathable fabrics like Ryndia and other hand spun fabrics renders a unique texture to your designs, what are the challenges you face while incorporating patterns and natural dyes during the weaving process at the yarn stage?
DS: Most of the weavers use a traditional way of weaving and still work at the loin loom and all the yarn is hand spun. One of the biggest challenge we face is that it takes very long to produce even a few meters of fabric. However, now I am getting a lot of appreciation for my fabric out of India. Another challenge we face is that the weavers are not into full time weaving and we have to motivate them to take up weaving as a full time profession. The climate change and global warming has affected the sourcing of vegetable dyes since the plants from which the dyes are extracted are not easily found right now. These are the things we need to look into.
You have redefined sustainable fashion by using 100% organic and chemical free fabrics in your collection. What according to you is ‘sustainable fashion’?
DS: When we launched our collection in Lakme Fashion Week five years ago, the first collection was called Rayon and we used the name of the fabric. Then the idea of sustainable fabric was just beginning and there were very few designers who used organic fabrics and spoke about sustainability, but now that has really caught up. Now LFW has a separate section dedicated to sustainable fashion. For me as a designer I feel that sustainability is all about being able to give back to my community and help them with sustenance. It is about giving back to the society and supporting fashion with a cause. For me, that is what working with fabric is all about.
How can one protect one’s indigenous fabrics while adopting environmental-friendly method of textile production?
DS: This is of what we have to be really careful about, like I said we have got a lot of appreciation and there is a lot of hype about the fabric and people want to purchase it. We are not looking into mass production of the fabric, but at the same time we are looking into speeding up the production by sticking to the traditional form of weaving. We don’t look into getting into power looms then the fabrics will be like any other fabric you get in the market. There are many states who use machine spun yarn and you will get to see the difference.
You have pointed out that the fabrics you choose are suited for the climatic conditions of Europe and have successfully established your label in London, Rome, New York and Toronto. What are the kind of responses and requests you get from your international clients?
DS: A lot of people in the West still have vague notions about fabric and they need to be educated about where the fabric comes from. When they look at the fabric they think that it will be rough on the skin. Their only inquiry is where does the fabric come from and how it will feel on the skin. Sometimes, people think that the fabric is jute and has a rough texture and that’s where we have to inform our clients that the fabric is organic, chemical free and actually it is smooth on the skin. When it comes to fabric construction many clients are concerned that the garments and designs only look good on models and those with size zero figures. But when you look at our styles, you will find them to be very free flowing. We do free size kind of silhouettes which complements on women irrespective of their size and age. We cater to different kind of clients and that’s what I keep in mind while designing a collection.
Your style being more contemporary, do you plan to incorporate a fusion wear line to your label in the near future when it comes to couture wear?
DS: We also customize for clients. For instance, there was a bride from Shillong who was getting married in Mumbai and she wanted Indo-western fusion styles or designs out of the fabric, we have done that for her. We had put a little bit of embroideries on the fabric and created beautiful Indo-western silhouettes and it worked well. For men too we have done jackets and sherwanis with embroideries. Yes, we have done customized fusion wear but we have not introduced it to the market. We plan to introduce it later as a pret label. Now we are working on different kinds of organic fabrics available in the market like cotton and linen but with the same signature style. We are looking for a bigger market.
Meghalaya and the Northeast States are well known for its weaves and following your father’s and grandfather’s footsteps you have redefined sustainable fashion and have made terrific effort to uplift traditional weavers and establish new safe-weaving looms. What are your future plans when it comes to reviving hand spun fabrics and taking it to a new direction?
DS: What we are doing right now is exactly how we had planned five years ago, which is to introduce India to the national and international markets. Like I said in a recent interview that as much as it is about introducing the fabric it is also about reaching out or telling the story of these woman weavers who make these fabrics. It is about the tears, sweat and hard work of these women weavers some of who are mothers that support their children and their own sustenance. It is about telling their story and taking it forward and for people to understand that the fabric has a lot of history in it and carries a story about these women who support their family and try to sustain themselves. Even though we are looking at a niche market but we do hope that there will be lot of people who would like to own the garments and understand the story behind it. That five years down the line the fabric will reach around the world and people will wear indigenous fabrics.
Rapid Fire
Your Favourite designer?
Wendell Roderick
A celebrity you would like to dress up?
Michelle Obama because she supports a lot of young and upcoming designers.
Your fashion icon?
My grandmother who was the love of my life and a very stylish woman.
A country that inspires you creatively?
America especially New York.
Your favourite outfit designed by you?
The jumpsuit I recently wore for Lakme Fashion Week.
What is in your Wishlist?
To have as much people wearing my label.
