on his terrace in Aizawl, Mizoram, Mizo pop icon Ngurthangvela, better known as NgTV, models a self-designed ensemble—a fiery-red sequinned blazer, verdant green trousers, and a feathery purple shirt. In another shot, he lounges on his carpet in knee-high boots and a multi-coloured sweater, one of the 250-odd he’s knitted over his lifetime. Now in his 70s, NgTV epitomizes the creative ingenuity flourishing in Mizoram, the focus of a recent photo series by Manou, the peripatetic photographer and long-time chronicler of Indian style through his blog wearabout.
Over three weeks earlier this year, Manou and his stylist friend, Aizawl-native Nathan Lalhruaitluanga, knocked on doors and stopped strangers on the streets to capture the vibrant ways locals dressed on the streets. “Our approach was straightforward. We wanted to authentically portray people, balancing how they see themselves and how they want others to view them.
We also wanted to highlight what local designers are making,” says Manou. The result? A mix of stylized , candid street shots, and serendipitously, collages of archival images. Best and hair and makeup artists Rinmuana Varte and Ruatfela are captured on their way to church, their bright Mizo puan, a traditional wrap-around skirt, punctuated by oversized flower brooches.
Visual artist Alfoe, who now lives in the UK, is captured in a trench coat paired with a traditional handloom shawl. The series features teens, one image of a group in school uniforms, a.
