Going beyond the literary world, the eighth edition of Mountain Echoes Literary Festival will showcase collections by Bhutanese and Indian designers reflecting the textile heritage of both nations.

The stories from the world of fashion will take centre stage at the literary, arts and cultural festival, which will be held in Thimphu from August 24-27, read a statement.

Fashion will be one of the key themes at this year’s edition of the Mountain Echoes literary festival.

Designers from across Bhutan and India will come together to curate collections which intersperse their nation’s textile heritage with contemporary fashion, with the aim to build a common thread between the two countries and their shared cultures.

With celebrated names such as Chandrika Tamang and Chimmi Choden from Bhutan and designer duo Abraham & Thakore (David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore) from India, the festival will give a glimpse into the intricacies of design from both countries.

There will be a specially curated fashion show too, which will see models walk the ramp wearing weaves designed by Chimmi Choden’s CHIMMI House of Design. Tamang will present an exclusive line of outfits from her eco-friendly label CDK.

Elaborating on the fashion element of the festival, Tamang said: “Bhutan and India’s design traditions are closely linked. Our shared history has inspired designers across both nations… My collection will be a mix of traditional Bhutanese designs, created using an amalgamation of both Indian and Bhutanese fabrics.”

Abraham & Thakore will exhibit their contemporary designs and present their interpretation of traditional Indian textiles at the specially curated fashion show. The collection will focus on designs created by the two for the 2016 Rajasthan Heritage Week. Their line gives khadi a modern spin and encourages its use as a central fabric for modern designs.

In a joint statement, Abraham and Thakore said: “It is encouraging to see that handloom fashion is one of the threads that ties India and Bhutan together.”

There will be discussions around global evolution of textiles and design traditions too. The festival will also host a unique exhibition, titled ‘Handmade in Rajasthan’, curated by Prasad Bidapa that will celebrate the indigenous craft forms that give Rajasthan its distinctive identity.

Mountain Echoes literary festival is an initiative of the India-Bhutan Foundation, in association with India’s literary consultancy Siyahi.Read more at:formal dresses