Lhanzey Palden, co-founder and creative director of studio Mapcha, is Tibetan by origin, and was born and raised in Ladakh. Being a creative child growing up, she had always dreamt of creating her own products someday. Cut to many years later, she has created a brand inspired from the visual language systems of the Himalayas, and life of the Himalayan communities. With their solid pantone colours inspired by the landscape and visual motifs inspired by the Buddhist Thangka paintings, this influence is unmistakable in their work.

Take for instance the Gyalsa Dress or the Classic Chuba Dress, which are both Mapcha’s take on the chuba, a unisex garment that is traditional to Tibet. The label works to create simplified, modernised versions of the traditional dress, which comes laden with brocade fabrics and vibrant colours and is usually worn on special occasions. Mapcha is Palden’s ode to her culture, which is largely underrepresented in the mainstream Indian realm.