What struck me first were the shapes. Simple, geometric, and briskly patterned. For someone with a mind as busy (read: unfocused) as mine, having a geometric palette to look at has an immediately calming effect. This is exactly what Heirloom Naga’s furnishings present: clean, strong lines and shapes plastered over richly woven fabrics. Every piece that the brand manufactures is stunning in its simplistic beauty, and honours the skilled symmetrical work of Nagaland’s traditional handloom weaving. Reminiscent of native north-east Indian folk artistry and a bit of the De Stijl movement of 20th century Netherlands, the textiles, bedcoverings and fabrics by Heirloom Naga are plush products that instantly grab attention for a fine attention to detail and design.
Established in 1993 with just one weaver as an exploratory initiative, Heirloom Naga gradually pioneered the contemporary language of Naga Textiles. The brand drew attention to the “loin-loom weaving” process unique to India’s northeast, and today has made the unique style a home staple all across the nation—and the world. Founder Jesmina Zeliang launched her first textile collection in the 1990s. By combining traditional motifs with a contemporary context, she was able to revive ancestral skills and define a new approach to pursuing indigenous craft. As Zeliang developed the brand’s core identity, she wanted to honour this unique craft form passed down to generations matrilineally. Her focus on hiring women was pivotal in growing Heirloom Naga’s niche. Today, 450 women weavers, across the Naga tribes of Zeliang, Chakesang, Phom, Konyak, Angami, Sangtam, Chang, Yimkhiung and Sumi, work at Heirloom Naga.
It’s no wonder that the brand’s success is attributed to women. Having originated centuries ago among native tribes of northeast India, loin-loom weaving is, after all, how the women of Nagaland have always made their shawls, sarongs, bags, clothes, and fashion accessories. The mechanics are quite rudimentary. On one end, a bamboo-made back strap loom is worn as a belt around the weaver, and on the other, parallel bamboo sticks hold up a stretched-out continuous warp for the weaver to perform magic. This piece of warped cloth is turned into cushion covers, upholstery, bedding and bedcoverings, and fashionable clothing items. Since every Naga tribe has distinctive colours and motifs, they are ingrained into the cloth, making the fabric an extension of their proud heritage and native identity.
Preserving this delicate continuity of history has been a priority for the Heirloom Naga brand. Founder Jesmina Zeliang says, “The loin-loom is regarded as the most ancient form of weaving known to mankind. This art form is passed down from mother to daughter, and it is imperative that we continue to promote this craft, which embodies the Naga way of life. The flexibility of the loom ensures that the weavers can pitch their loom anywhere they are comfortable. This allows them total ownership of their work, and it has been our intention not to disturb this set-up. We work around the limitations of the loom by carefully designing all our textiles.” Her effort to empower women has had inspiring ripple effects on social progression. After all, female employment is directly proportional to individual growth and economic development. “I am very determined not to uproot women from their homes,” Zeliang states. “Since we work with a lot of mothers, even more so. After all, the mother is the nerve centre of her family and displacing her would not be right. Therefore, even though there are a lot of challenges, I prefer to give them doorstep employment! It’s also very gratifying to know that our work greatly impacts hundreds of families. I also believe that our women are in complete control of their work and are not subjected to uncomfortable situations.”
Zeliang’s strong ethical beliefs are also reflected in the sustainable, eco-conscious products woven at Heirloom Naga. Only natural fibres like cotton, silk, nettle, and bamboo yarn are used in making their products. Their fabrics are artistically inspired; artisans use paintings, museum pieces, trending colours, and travel experiences as mood boards for their collections. As a result, their home furnishings products are versatile and easily adaptable. From cushion covers and table runners to bedding, upholstery and lumbar pillows, every piece of cloth unravels like a painting—a handcrafted, sensibly sourced, indigenously-made work of art.
Heirloom Naga is one of the Indian home decor brands that represents the best of the northeast. With more than 220 ethnic communities in the region and 17 identified tribes in Nagaland, each one comprises individuality in terms of their tribe identity, clan, status, feasts of merit, etc. Nagaland is a “cultural hotspot,” as Zeliang points out. What’s reassuring is that her endeavour is reciprocated by consumers worldwide; “At our new centre, we are so overwhelmed with the response to our hands-on introductory tutorials on weaving, basketry techniques and zero waste craft.”
People enjoy owning exclusive pieces that are tailor-made for each home, and Heirloom Naga’s contributions to home decor highlight the importance of heritage female craftsmanship and socially aware consumers. In Zeliang’s words, this paves the way for a positive future: “Gauging by the enthusiastic responses, we firmly believe that the future of our traditional culture is in safe hands. On our part, beyond engaging in commerce, we see ourselves as cultural custodians. I feel there’s a strong revival of anything culturally-related, which is welcome and motivating. We must encourage the designers to bring originality to their work, and I am driven to dictate our design vocabulary.”
If dictating a distinctive design vocabulary is Heirloom Naga’s mission, then they have the right cultural custodians—women weavers—to bring this to fruition.
