Jigmat Couture opens ready-to-wear store in Leh

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jul 25, 2019

The Ladakh-based couture brand Jigmat Couture has opened a ready-to-wear store in Leh, Ladakh, to house its collection of luxury Ladakhi fashion.  

Earlier in the month, Jigmat Couture opened a ready-to-wear boutique in the Yak Tail Hotel in Leh. The boutique houses the brand’s selection of outerwear, separates, and accessories that mix traditional Ladakhi dress with designer Norbu’s modern sensibilities. 

The store has been designed with a modern interior and traditional Ladakhi painted furniture. Designer Jigmat Norbu worked with traditional Himalayan artisans to produce hand painted textiles and furnishings for the space.

The brand uses traditional methods to garner the fibres for its textiles and then spin and dye them. This practice is not only sustainable but also works to keep the local tradition alive. By opening a ready-to-wear store, the brand will be able to greatly expand its customer base with a more accessible product. Jigmat Couture continues to produce its custom designs and “wearable art” pieces at its invitation only space. 

Jigmat Norbu founded Jigmat Couture in 2010 and has also opened a textile museum in Ladakh to help preserve the region’s rich textile heritage. “It started with the idea of building a resource centre for the many interns and students who come here to study the region, costumes, lifestyle etc,” Norbu told Vogue India about the venture.

“However, our family had a piece of land in the city centre, as well as a lot of art inventory and antique pieces which were stored in trunks. So eventually we built a museum; it took almost five years to construct because it was done in a painstakingly traditional way. It was our way of giving back to society.”