Daniel Syiem's Ethnic Fashion House makes classic, timeless apparel for women and men. It is sustainable, eco-friendly and celebrates personal style. The label seamlessly blends traditional craft of hand-woven fabrics with western silhouettes. The signature style is minimalistic with clean lines, drapes and unique profiles. Promoting and preserving the hand-weaving traditions of the indigenous weaver tribes of North East India, the label stresses on high quality, rare fabrics, classic styles and conscious consumption. Focusing on usage of fabrics like Ryndia and natural processes that sustain eco-systems and involve mindful usage of resources, recycling and minimal wastage, the label practices slow fashion. This label has been launched in India, New York, Toronto, London & Rome.
To revive the use of hand-woven fabrics from North-East India into contemporary designer-wear & designer artisanal products thereby promoting and preserving traditional handloom fabrics that aid in sustaining and encouraging weavers & local artisans to preserve their dying craft.
To bring designer artisanal products & fashion-wear made using hand-woven heritage fabrics, mainly Ryndia (EriSilk), materials & traditional techniques from Meghalaya & the North East of India to customers around the world thereby supporting the indigenous women weavers and local artisans of the region and sustaining & preserving ancient crafts.
The journey began with two individuals deeply rooted in the culture, tradition and heritage of the region we belong to- Meghalaya, in the North-East of India. Both of us had the aspiration to contribute to our region by safeguarding endangered ancient arts and crafts, protecting and reviving heritage natural fabrics and to enable the legacy of weaving move into another generation of women. This inspired us to figure out how we could best do so. We then established an enterprise with a unique proposition- modern, contemporary product design using traditional, heritage fabrics and materials, creating products with the best of both worlds.
In 2011, we gave our hometown Shillong, its First Fashion House, Daniel Syiem's Ethnic Fashion House (DSEFH). Today, years later, DSEFH boasts of a unique presence in India's textile landscape, highlighting the arts and crafts of Meghalaya and other North East regions. DSEFH's participation in top fashion events, cultural exhibitions, trade shows nationally and internationally has generated wide-spread interest in the region, its organic textiles and its women weavers. The inspiration to do this lies in our experiences in working with these indigenous fabrics and women weavers. It is no mean feat that we have taken up the uphill task of exposing the fact that the art of making these natural organic textiles is slowly dying. Going a step further, we have made it our passion to preserve this craft thereby also preserving a way of life, a culture and a people.
