4 min learnNew DelhiUp to date: Jun 21, 2026 06:16 PM IST
Northeast India is residence to a few of the nation’s most stunning textiles. From Assam’s elegant silks to Manipur’s richly woven conventional ensembles, the area’s handloom heritage is as numerous as it’s placing.
Through the years, a number of Bollywood actresses have turned to those weaves for crimson carpets, weddings, cultural occasions, and journal shoots. Listed here are 5 occasions they embraced Northeast Indian outfits and impressed the style police!
1. Preity Zinta in an Assamese Mekhela Chador
At Lakme Style Week 2017, Preity Zinta walked the runway in a shocking silk Mekhela Chador designed by Guwahati-based designer Sanjukta Dutta. The off-white Muga silk ensemble featured delicate zari motifs and highlighted Assam’s centuries-old weaving legacy. Historically worn throughout festivals like Bihu, the two-piece drape – with the Mekhela as a pleated cylindrical skirt and the Chador as a sleek shoulder wrap – is a logo of Assamese id and artisan pleasure. Zinta’s look helped convey Northeast handlooms to a world style platform.
2. Kangana Ranaut in a Manipuri Phanek
“Style needs to be inclusive however what’s the level of together with others and excluding our personal? True which means of Nationalism is Nation first, our personal first…”: Kangana Ranaut
Kangana Ranaut took to Instagram in 2020 to share photos of herself in a red-and-black striped Phanek, paired with a white Innaphi veil and an embroidered shirt. Whereas no particular designer was credited, the look drew from conventional Meitei craftsmanship. The Phanek, a sarong-style wrap skirt, is deeply rooted in Manipuri tradition – worn in each day life in addition to rituals, with its stripes typically symbolising prosperity. Ranaut’s publish sparked recent appreciation for regional handlooms.
3. Sonam Kapoor in a Tangkhul Naga-inspired ensemble
Sonam Kapoor sporting conventional costume from Manipur’s homegrown model EAST, fronted by designer Easternlight Zimik (Picture: Architectural Digest)
Sonam Kapoor wore a Tangkhul Naga-inspired outfit from Manipur-based label East Zimik whereas internet hosting an AD journal dinner. Styled by Rhea Kapoor, the ensemble featured placing black weaves with geometric tribal motifs. Tangkhul shawls are wealthy in symbolism, representing id, safety, and group bonds amongst Naga tribes within the Nagaland-Manipur area. The look stood out as a celebration of Northeast India’s up to date design voices rooted in custom.
4. Urvashi Rautela in a gold-embellished Manipuri Potloi
Urvashi Rautela turned heads in a dramatic interpretation of the standard Manipuri Kumil Potloi, reportedly crafted with gold-toned elaborations. The Potloi is a cylindrical bridal skirt worn by Meitei brides. This couture-inspired version reimagined a deeply conventional garment for the worldwide style stage, drawing consideration to Manipur’s wealthy ceremonial apparel.
5. Priyanka Chopra in a Mekhela Chador throughout her Assam go to
Throughout her 2018 go to to Assam as a tourism ambassador, Priyanka Chopra wore a basic white Muga silk Mekhela Chador, accessorised with gold jewelry and recent white flowers. The elegant ensemble mirrored Assamese heritage and the significance of handloom traditions in supporting native girls artisans. In a heartwarming second broadly shared within the media, a younger lady even helped Chopra discover ways to drape it – making the looks each trendy and culturally significant.
