When you looked away from the stage, there were all these little moments unfolding around you. Nobody did anything remarkable except make an afternoon of it. What stayed with me was how ordinary everything felt.
From Ziro, the team visited Itanagar, where our friend Amu hosted us at her family home. Her 8-year-old nephew, Rinzin, spent most of the evening peeking into our room, too shy to say hello. When he finally did, he sat quietly with arms folded. Over dinner, we learned that he wanted to be a model when he grew up.
Arunachal Pradesh was unfamiliar to me in many ways, although I am from the Northeast. But little things reminded me of home. I felt familiar with their value systems: how people looked after their guests, showed regard for elders, and insisted that nobody leaves empty-handed. Tadu’s parting gift reminded me of the elders back home who will find something to send you away with, even when you have no space in your bag.
Black-and-ecru shantung silk top, black-and-white silk crêpe skirt, CHANEL.
(From left) On Amu: Golden Hour top, HANNAH KHIANGTE. Gunmetal ladder boot-cut trousers, AKHL. Feather accessory, PAIA PACHUAU. Mai nettle necklace, KINTEM. On Anika: Shirt and Pants from Generation Gucci collection. Izhaar Zamak choker, Lavan Zamak pendant; RIWAIYAT. Küa necklace, KINTEM.
Since returning, I’ve been thinking a lot about Pubyang and Rinzin. One has witnessed the world change around her for decades. The other is only just starting to conjure his place in the world. I wonder what they would make of each other’s versions of Arunachal Pradesh.
I went to Ziro hoping to make beautiful images, and found myself taken by the simple pleasure of just being there, listening to music on a sunny afternoon even if that meant getting a little sunburnt. Perhaps this is what the youth of Arunachal Pradesh hope to preserve, too: the freedom to dream, to sing and to grow old in a place they have a hand in shaping. Ten years from now, I hope Rinzin stumbles upon this story from his corner of the internet and gets a good laugh at how funny the fashion was in 2026.
