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Hemangini Mandaliya

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DESIGN

I am a designer, illustrator, and storyteller rooted in reverence for nature and driven by a curiosity to explore traditional wisdom through a contemporary lens. With a background in Lifestyle Accessory Design and a deep engagement with crafts, I see design as a tool for cultural continuity, emotional storytelling, and systemic change. My practice weaves together slow living, sustainable material exploration, and community collaboration—whether through crafting homeware that speaks of place and purpose, or reimagining natural fibres into fashion accessories that challenge conventional narratives. I envision both homes and wardrobes as sensorial, soulful spaces - reflecting values of care, craftsmanship, and consciousness. Through design, I seek to revive indigenous knowledge systems and shape lifestyles that are conscious, context-driven, and quietly radical.

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Paper Symphony : Banana Paper & Banana Fiber Bags

Category: Accessories

Competitions: Fashion Competition 2025

Paper Symphony is a collection of accessories handcrafted from banana paper and fiber, reinterpreting traditional Indian weaving techniques for a bold, modern expression. Inspired by the strength and texture of banana fiber —often seen as agricultural waste—the project explores its potential as a primary design material for fashion accessories. The bags combine handwoven natural banana paper, and banana fiber with cotton yarns and graphic color blocking, creating a fresh, tactile language rooted in craft yet visibly contemporary. The work also celebrates India’s lesser-known natural fiber potential and brings forward the work of skilled local artisans. This collection is original in its seamless blending of unconventional materiality with traditional craftsmanship. The use of banana paper in weaving challenges perceptions of what a fashion accessory can be, offering not just sustainability, but a new aesthetic possibility. These bags are designed to be lived with - their natural textures and bold details make them easy to reach for, again and again. Over time, they soften, gather stories, and become familiar companions - practical, expressive, and made to last.

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The Hemp Home: Reinterpreting Himachali Hemp Crafts for Conscious Spaces

Category: Interior

Competitions: Home Competition 2025

The Hemp Home is a conscious homeware collection rooted in the revival of the Pulla craft - traditional hemp rope footwear from Himachal. Situated at the intersection of craft-led innovation, cultural continuity, and design ethics, the project addresses the decline of indigenous crafts caused by low compensation, market disconnect, and the rise of mass-produced alternatives. The objective was to reposition Pulla’s traditional hemp weaving into a contemporary homeware context. By engaging with artisans in Nehra village, Gadagushaini, the project adopts a collaborative, field-based approach involving ethnographic research, artisan interviews, and participatory co-creation. The design philosophy of Sehaj-Mehaj (simple and easy in Hindi), drawn from the local lifestyle, served as the conceptual anchor, shaping the product aesthetics and informing decisions on form, functionality, and tactility. The process adapts an age-old technique not by aesthetic mimicry but through material innovation and spatial reapplication. It introduces new applications for a historic craft without compromising its cultural essence. The innovation lies in its ability to honour the original while offering something entirely new in context, utility, and form. It demonstrates how craft revival must extend beyond product aesthetics to include systems of production, livelihood support, and cultural storytelling. By bridging design with grassroots craft ecosystems, design can reclaim indigenous material wisdom and reposition traditional knowledge within future domestic spaces, because a home is not just built with bricks and furniture; it is built with care, community, and consciousness. ______________ "Think GLOBAL, Work LOCAL."

In association with Arts Thread

Working with our partners at Arts Thread to develop lifelong learning and career opportunities for students of fashion and design. Our partnership provides the opportunity to compete on a world stage, participate in industry led workshops, set up an outstanding portfolio and gain access to the resources that will kickstart careers in fashion and design.