Meet this Northeastern designer who takes inspiration from his personal loss
Mangtinlen Kilong, a designer from Manipur, launched his brand, Nina by Mangsee using limited resources to promote his community's heritage through fashion
Fashion can always be a powerful tool for self-expression and social commentary, challenging societal norms. Meet Mangtinlen Kilong, a designer from Thangkanphai village in Manipur, who believes that fashion is not just a passion but a way to tell the story of his community and their struggles. Speaking to us, he talks about his journey, inspiration and challenges that he faced while starting his brand, Nina by Mangsee.
A fashion tribute
Mangtinlen created an outfit that was a tribute to his community. It featured the names of the people who lost their lives in the ethnic riot. The blue lines on a black garment are a traditional mourning wrap-around (PON DUM). Burnt patches are carefully integrated into the design, representing the devastation and destruction, while the red threads and beads (KHIBA) woven throughout the body flow like bloodlines across the garment, embodying the lives lost, which took me 96 hours to make. This design merges resourcefulness with deep symbolism.
His brand has brought forth distinctive designs and underlying strong messages. But what sets him apart is his commitment to using fashion as a platform to raise awareness about social issues. “Being from a closed and stick-to-the-roots community, I faced some criticism from the public claiming that I distort the values of the traditional shawls and our traditional patterns. But my idea was always to promote my identity using our beautiful traditional designs but in a modern fashion wear," he shares.
Early inspiration and designs
He started his brand to pay homage to his nephew Nina, whose life was sacrificed amid the conflict, and to promote the artistry of his people. All his designs are also handcrafted from the resources at his disposal. “As I move forward, I want to keep his memory alive through my designs and showcase the love he had for our culture. I also want to urge the coming designers not to look at things which are trending but utilise their limitless creativity for their designs. I believe fashion is not just limited to modern fast fashion, so I am not afraid to upcycle, reuse or recycle the materials and experiment with new ideas,” notes Mangtinlen.
Growing up in a remote village (Thangkanphai) in Kangpokpi district, Manipur, his journey towards the fashion industry was challenging. However, his love for fashion and designing was evident from a young age, as he learned everything himself.
Fashion for a cause
Despite facing financial constraints and limited opportunities, he persevered, using his creativity to design outfits for special occasions or functions, which made him struggle to keep up with trends as well. “I started my brand in July 2024 without any initial capital. A few of my neighbours donated some shawl pieces to me because I wanted to make a video for social media,” he recalls.
With no proper training and less to no availability of materials, it was hard to keep up with the demands and make the product perfect for the customers. “I wanted to use my talent as a designer to promote my community to the world and use fashion as my voice towards the atrocities.
Mangtinlen's ultimate goal is to expand his brand while continuing to promote his community's heritage. “I aim to create designs every three months, and I have been doing so. With social media making businesses easier, I believe that creativity and perseverance can overcome geographical limitations,” he says.
