Tshela Lizum Lepcha

designer & entrepreneur

Tshela Lizum Lepcha is a designer of traditional fashion and an entrepreneur. She hails from Kamdong but lives in Gangtok. After she completed a Masters in Sociology and a Masters in Library Science, she then started work as an assistant librarian in the Office of the Chief Electoral officer in 2012. It was the same year, she decided to take her passion for traditional attire to the next level. She was in the core committee of the Himalayan Ethnic Lepcha Fashion Event that had the aim to reboot Lepcha traditional clothing as stylish and fashionable. Here she contribute her first designs and used the momentum to kickstart her future social entrepreneurship. She rented a small space in Tharo Line, Lall bazar.

Tshela has been experimenting with the materials, hand embroidering and designs to offer comfortable and fashionable Lepcha wear for both male and female members of the community. In this way, she does not only promote and celebrate the use of traditional attire in everyday life and offices, she has also revolutionised how Lepcha women wear their dress by designing a two-piece Dumvom design. Here design was introduced to tailors in different parts of Sikkim and is now worn in all corners of the state of Sikkim and beyond. She draws her inspiration from studying her Lepcha roots. 

‘Tshela’s One Stop’ boutique now employs 5 people: one manager, two tailors and two artists who do hand embroidering and her plans do not stop there. She wants to set up a studio to revive the old traditional art of weaving Lepcha dresses.