The Manipuri Stylist Fostering Identity & Cultural Narratives Through Fashion

Born in a small town called Lamka located in the south of Manipur, India, Manglien S Gangte is part of the new breed of exciting storytellers cropping up on our side of the globe. Culturally rooted with an ethereal quality, Mangte’s work possesses an energy that’s hard to ignore.

Gangte’s initial years were spent observing his mother’s deft craftsmanship which steered his interest in the fashion realm and ignited a creative curiosity in exploring his traditionally rooted identity.

Growing up in a religious community of Chin Kuki Mizo where myths and folklore is passed down by generations, Manglien brings a fresh new take to the fore with his amalgamation of creativity and culture.

Ditching the traditional fashion alumni route, he belongs to a cadre of self-taught artists guided by a strong inclination toward fashion. Working as a fashion stylist for an e-commerce platform and later getting selected for a mentoring program under the guidance of Fashion Editor Neil Kalonji allowed him to dip his toes into the industry.

Making the most of limited resources, he started off shooting and conceptualizing photos on his phone, coupled with cut and paste experimentation and rephotographing denoting a strong cultural influence as he explores themes of femininity, identity, and diaspora.

Manglien has a habit of portraying visual storytelling through his brilliantly unorthodox aesthetics and autobiographical musings channelled into fashion imagery.

Creating out of adversity is a bold trait possessed by the stylist whose pandemic-born project ‘Did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there’ garnered massive appreciation. The photo project revels in the cathartic resurfacing of memories of the past during the pandemic and a poetic nod to the loneliness and escapism of the trying isolation period.

Now, with his work featured in major publications like Vogue and in Samsung campaigns, Manglien is a key part of the next generation of artists shaking up the Indian fashion scene.

View his work here.

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