Textile exhibition 'Between Wind and Wool' showcasing Ladakh's legacy inaugurated in Delhi

The Innovation Gallery at the National Crafts Museum & Hastakala Academy witnessed the inauguration of Between Wind and Wool: Ladakh Design Today on the evening of January 17, marking a significant celebration of Ladakh’s evolving textile and design legacy. The exhibition is part of the Innovation Gallery housed within Textile Gallery II: Tradition

& Innovation, a platform dedicated to contemporary interpretations of India’s rich craft traditions.

The exhibition was formally inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Mr. Kavinder Gupta, IAS,

Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh. The Guest of Honour for the evening was Ms. Amrita Raj,

Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), whose continued guidance and support have been

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instrumental in shaping the Innovation Gallery initiative under the Ministry of Textiles.

Adding to the warmth and cultural resonance of the evening was the presence of students from Ladakh who are currently studying in New Delhi, lending a youthful and personal connection to the showcase. Enhancing the experience further, guests were treated to delicious Ladakhi cuisine, offering an immersive taste of the region’s hospitality alongside its textile and design narratives.

Curated by Sunil Sethi, with the support of the FDCI team, the exhibition positions Ladakhi

textiles as living, evolving practices rather than static heritage. It brings together design,

sustainability and cultural continuity, presenting Ladakh’s textile traditions through a

contemporary, design-led perspective.

Between Wind and Wool: Ladakh Design Today explores how Ladakh’s high-altitude geography, climate and pastoral traditions have shaped its wool and pashmina heritage. The exhibition highlights how today’s designers reinterpret spinning, weaving, resist-dyeing and garment construction into modern forms, surfaces and silhouettes while remaining deeply rooted in cultural memory.

The exhibition features works by leading Ladakhi designers including 2112 Saldon; Jigmat

Norbu and Jigmat Wangmo – Jigmat Couture; Padma Yangchan – Namza Couture; and Zilzom

by Stanzin Palmo. Their creations range from sculptural installations and ceremonial garments

to ritual objects and handwoven wool and pashmina ensembles, reflecting Ladakh’s spiritual,

environmental and material connections.

Adding a compelling visual layer to the exhibition are landscape portraits by Gautam Kalra

(Creative Direction & Styling) and Hormis Anthony Tharakan (Visual Direction & Photography), where Ladakhi garments are placed against the region’s dramatic terrains, reinforcing the dialogue between land, climate and design.

Speaking at the inauguration, the dignitaries acknowledged the exhibition as an important step in bringing regional craft narratives into national and global contemporary design conversations.

The Innovation Gallery, conceived as a rotating exhibition space, continues its mission of

bridging inherited knowledge with future-facing creativity. Between Wind and Wool: Ladakh Design Today stands as a thoughtful and contemporary reading of Ladakh’s textile traditions, honouring the past while opening new pathways for sustainable, responsible and culturally rooted design.

The exhibition is now open to the public until the end of March 2026 at the National Crafts

Museum & Hastakala Academy, New Delhi