NIFT Shillong's annual fest "Lapongnai 2013" a superb success
- Mo Naga's grand finale a major hit amongst cheery crowds -

Life's Purple / Rooplin Sharma *

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Shillong, hosted its annual cultural fest "Lapongnai 2013" today. Though a one-day event, the festival was fully packed with a wide array of events buzzing in different areas within the campus. The events included street plays, karaoke, dance competition, and the Grand Finale of the fashion showcase event- Mo Naga's body art show. NeoNITE feat Deejay Chetan churned out high-octane numbers while the audience grooved to the pulsating beats echoing through the campus. There were also numerous contests held at the institute, such as the photography contest, treasure hunt, obstacle race, street dance, flash mob, design competition and Mr. and Ms. Lapongnai 2013. Pravesh Bharti, a second year student of NIFT Shillong said, "The main attraction was undeniably the Grand Fashion Show by Mo Naga in association with NIFT students. All the students were very excited to see a tattoo artist of national repute presenting his collections in their very own institute. Students had lined up since 11 a.m. for this very activity. I feel privileged to have been a part of his team." "The second most popular activity was the belly dance, performed by my batch-mate Phidari. The audience kept shouting 'Once more, once more' until she finally agreed to perform all over again", Pravesh laughs remembering the moment.

Mo Naga poses with models backstage during the NIFT Shilling fest "Lapongnai 2013"

Mo Naga, an alumnus of NIFT-Hyderabad and a self-taught tattoo artist, who had been invited to be a part of this event, showcased a collection of north-eastern tribal body art at the finale of the fashion show at NIFT Lapongnai 2013. The collection showcased today has been inspired by the tribal art and lifestyle of the Naga warriors from north-east India and Burma. It was presented as a collage of various motifs and design patterns taken from different Naga tribes. The collection speaks of the time when headhunting was still practiced in the Naga community. Mo had invited professional models from Guwahati to sport his collections during this activity. Tariq, another NIFT second year student, says "I was also a part of Mo Naga's team. We had worked sleeplessly over the last two days. It feels awesome that finally our labour has paid off; and that too with such an amazing response. There were so many activities buzzing around the campusstreet plays, dance competition, photography contest, treasure hunt, street dance, and yet our activity grabbed the maximum eyeballs."

Models in design of MO Naga during the NIFT Shilling fest "Lapongnai 2013"

Giving an idea of his collection, Mo Naga, Founder and Artist, Headhunters' Ink says, "It is a unique theme, something that has not been attempted by anyone I know so far. The collection is not particularly about apparels, but is a representation of our tribal art. I wanted to focus more on the dying heritage of the Nagas and the north eastern headhunter tattoo art in the context of fashion and style. I was inspired by the tribal communities of the north eastern region."

Mo also added that the prime focus was on the body art sported by the models rather than their attire. But his collection has definitely inspired the students, and will encourage fashion and art critics to spread awareness about the region's rich cultural heritage. "NIFT Shillong has been more than supportive to my work. I prepared this collection with the help of the final year students of the institute. We worked together for two days striving to organize this collection. By offering me this wonderful opportunity to reach out to the youth directly, NIFT has helped me to further strengthen the mission of Headhunters' Ink in North East and beyond", Mo said.

Models in design of MO Naga during the NIFT Shilling fest "Lapongnai 2013"

Talking on their association with Mo Naga, Ian Khongmen, Joint Director, NIFT Shillong adds, "Mo Naga's work on reviving the tribal art forms of the north-east, through innovative designs, is a unique experience and is meaningful to the students of NIFT. Our students, through this collaboration, will gain valuable insight and knowledge from the traditional art forms of the region. The fashion show has surely helped to enrich the students' knowledge on the role of society and its impact on fashion and at the same time, has opened their eyes to innovative techniques and artistic designs."

Models in design of MO Naga during the NIFT Shilling fest "Lapongnai 2013"

The organizing committee of Lapongnai 2013 has also set up a number of stalls within the institute premises to provide students with refreshments from a number of renowned outlets. The visitors happily carried back mementos from reputed retail stalls like Inkfruit, Ayesha and Happily Unmarried. NIFT had invited 23 reputed institutes from across the north-east to be a part of this festivity. About 20 students from each institute joined NIFT in its grand festivities. The events featured various competitions at both intra and inter-college levels. Mo Naga believes this event will definitely help to further strengthen the mission of Headhunters' Ink in North East and beyond."