Hurdles come with the terrain in Nepal’s fashion industry

Nepal’s fashion industry survives mainly because of designers’ passion for their work. Though there are some who have created a niche for themselves, most struggle to promote their brands even within the country. Sales on the international market are yet to happen even on a modest scale.

No matter how great the designs, success comes down to turning art into apparel that is marketable. And there are many hurdles to making that happen in Nepal. High-quality clothes need high-quality fabric, which in turn requires the right raw materials. Silk, cotton, cashmere, wool, and leather all have to be imported India, China and Bangladesh, and this drives up costs in a price-conscious Nepali market.

Despite being blessed with wide climatic variation, Nepal has yet to produce its own silk in Pokhara and Syangja, where there is potential for its cultivation. Cotton can grow well across the Tarai and lower midhills, but we have not even scratched the surface of making that happen. There has been an increase in the production of hemp fabric, but this is not suitable for a wide range of clothing.

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“These challenges are a given in Nepal, but we must persevere despite them, and our passion keeps us going,” says Mishu Shrestha, a 48-year-old fashion designer who founded MISHUS fashion house in Kathmandu in 2012 after getting her diploma from Milan.

The same year, Shrestha held her first fashion show, ‘Mishus Couture’, with 50 models from across the country. In doing so, however, she realised that in Nepal a fashion show is just a show and offers no business-to-business uptake, unlike elsewhere in the world, where prospective buyers come to place orders.

It is no wonder that fashion shows in Nepal are not an attraction anymore, but designers like Shrestha want to revive shows to rejuvenate the garment and apparel industry. That will create job and business opportunities, increase exports and market Nepal’s culture through designs based on Nepal’s indigenous clothing traditions.

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“I really feel there is a market out there for Nepali apparel, and it is high time we designers collaborated to share creative ideas not just for designs but also for markets, and finding access to the important international buyers,” says Shrestha, who has started doing just that.

Shrestha uses Mithila art and Tamang prayer flags in with her western apparel designs. She produces mostly cashmere gowns. That was what she wore during the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, where she was the first Nepali ever to be invited. She attended with three designers from France, Kenya and India and each showcased their work as part of a show called ‘Seven Continents of Fashion’.

“It was a very proud moment for me, to represent my country,” recalls Shrestha, who created a sensation with her model, Anjali Lama, who is also a big name in India as Lakme Fashion Week’s first transgender model. Lama is now brand ambassador for Levi’s, Calvin Klein and Puma.

Shrestha’s designer gowns were also worn by celebrities and at beauty pageants during the Cannes festival. She recently designed for Slovenian model and Hollywood actress Katianna Ley. A major breakthrough has been to team up with Indonesia-based Asia Pacific Rayon (APR) to produce a sustainable denim and cashmere collection.

APR sends the denim fabric to Nepal and Shrestha manufactures and exports the clothing internationally. She says fashion is hard work, and it has a social and environmental side to it.

“It is not all glitter and glamour, as many people think,” says Shrestha.“We want to create employment opportunities from raw material production to high quality tailoring, producing quality clothes and also exporting across the world.”

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