Sonam Dubal for the ANT, EKA for the Looms of Ladakh, Countrymade for the ANT

New Delhi (India), November 29: Royal Enfield unveils its textile conservation project, “The Himalayan Knot”, a tribute to the intrinsic artistry and timeless heritage embedded in the fabric of the Himalayas. It is a large collaborative effort to bring together artisanal Himalayan communities, urban designers, creative practitioners, social organisations, and the rider community—all knotted together by a common thread of a Himalayan story and human creativity.

Local artisan members are engaged in hands-on collaboration with renowned designers to create capsule collections, tailored for the rider community and other customer segments. While rooted in living legacies and heritage crafts, these aim to generate consistent income for the local communities. The capsule collections will be available to order on https://store.royalenfield.com/newridingjackets/himalyanknot  with all proceeds going back to the partner organisations.

For Royal Enfield, the mountains became its muse for motorcycles and explorations early on, but it is the resilience of the Himalayan cultures and communities that continue to inspire its social mission. As part of Royal Enfield’s social mission of partnering with 100 Himalayan communities, the Himalayan Knot brings to the fore sustainable textile traditions. It is an effort to pass on their intangible cultural heritage to future generations—and not just amongst their kin, but beyond through the global rider community.

“The Himalayan Knot embodies our dedication to safeguarding heritage, empowering communities, and sharing the unique artistry of the Himalayas with the world. Through this initiative, we aim to document, spotlight and present the Himalayan craftsmanship to the world in contemporary ways. We are working with communities on strengthening these sustainable textile traditions through training and skill enhancement while leveraging Royal Enfield’s global footprint to create market linkage for these crafts”, said Bidisha Dey, Executive Director, Eicher Group Foundation, Royal Enfield’s CSR arm.

Talking about Royal Enfield’s Social Mission, Siddhartha Lal, MD Eicher Motors Ltd said, “The Himalayan States account for 1 percent of CSR spend in the country compared to some of the other states that are over indexed on the funding. We wanted to work in areas where our hearts belong. The core of our Social Mission is working with communities in the Himalayas, our spiritual home, to help build resilience in the long-term. We are working on multiple ideas and projects in conservation, livelihoods and sustainable development to address issues such as over tourism and out-migration in both the Eastern and Western Himalayan regions.”

Beyond sharing their artistry, the communities reveal a wealth of traditional wisdom that has been central to maintaining the fine balance with their natural surroundings. Royal Enfield has also partnered with organisations like the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) to conserve pastoral lands and support Himalayan communities – the first to face the effects of climate change. Learning from such partnerships is embedded into the textile conservation project. For instance, the Himalayan Knot collection with Looms of Ladakh cooperative will first spotlight sheep wool before the coveted pashmina, as sheep are considered less destructive to pastures than pashmina goats.

A Himalayan exploration through the lens of textiles, the journey begins here with sheep wool from Ladakh and Eri silk and Bodo weaves from Assam bringing together partnerships and collaborations between EKA by Rina Singh & Looms of Ladakh for sheep wool collection; Action North East Trust (ANT), Assam with Sonam Dubal for Eri Silk collection and with Countrymade by Sushant Abrol for Bodo Weaves.

The Launch Event

The immersive launch event on November 17th, 2023, at Mukesh Mills, Mumbai, brought an evening of cultural celebration, insightful conversations, and sensory showcases, reflecting the ethos of The Himalayan Knot.

The Himalayan Knot launch event retraced the journey of the three capsule collections collaboratively created by EKA, Sonam Dubal and Countrymade with The Looms of Ladakh and The Action Northeast Trust through a mesmerising audio-visual performance by Omaggio Performing Company. Accentuating the natural sounds of the textile processes, the sonic experience brought together the mastery of sound design by Tejas Mangeshkar with traditional music from the Rolyangs (Ladakh) and Sifung Harimu Afad (BTR, Assam). Beyond its textile conservation project, the ‘Journeying Across The Himalayas‘ showcase, a part of the UNESCO x Royal Enfield partnership, presented the intangible cultural heritage of the Eastern Himalayas. From sights and sounds to tastes, mixologist and Darjeeling native Yangdup Lama crafted bespoke Himalayan cocktails to bring forth the spirit of the region through the evening.

More instances of community interactions unfolded at the event, where the local women running Royal Enfield’s Camp Kharu in Ladakh curated a culinary experience alongside renowned chef Prateek Sadhu of NAAR. The art exhibition included objects and artefacts from the homes and everyday lives of the artisanal communities and contributions by established photographers who worked as a team with the indigenous youth of Royal Enfield’s fellowship program with partner Green Hub.

The Himalayan Knot launch event was a convergence of art, culture, sustainability, and community empowerment, celebrating the Himalayas’ rich heritage and the artisans who shape it. As a platform facilitating meaningful interactions between Himalayan communities and individuals or organisations of influence, it displayed how Royal Enfield’s social mission thrives on fostering knowledge exchange and connections that transcend traditional boundaries.

On the backdrop of the immersive showcase, thoughtful conversations were moderated by Ms Bandana Tewari putting a spotlight on the stories of resilience and a celebration of the Himalayan spirit. Anthropologist and cultural researcher Dr Monisha Ahmed alongwith Jennifer Lang (ANT) & Abhilash Bahuguna (Looms of Ladakh) shed light on “Empowering communities through craft and culture” followed by dialogue on “Shaping Contemporary Fashion with Heritage Textiles” with designers Rina Singh, Sonam Dubal, Sushant Abrol with Smita Lasrado of Feat Artists & stylist Manglein S. Gangte followed by a conversation with Designer Prabal Gurung on “. The Timeless Spirit of the Himalayas”

The Collections