This Gen Z fashion curator wants you to get over your colonial hangover

Name: Sreyansi Singh

Profession: Fashion curator and researcher

Location: New Delhi, India

Why she’s on your feed: Sreyansi Singh sees clothing as a way of life. For her, clothes hold cues to our histories, geographies, politics, and personalities. “Textiles are the building blocks, but my curiosity lies in how clothes are made, why they’re made a certain way, and how they communicate,” she says. These explorations are now part of her ongoing curatorial show, Reimagining a Way Back to Us, which explores indigenous textile traditions and their contemporary interpretations. Presented in collaboration with FDCI and the India Art Fair, the exhibit is currently on display at the National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy. It features the work of eight emerging Indian designers—2112 Saldon, 7Weaves, Boito, Bun.Kar Bihar, Erode, Johargram, Kiniho, and Tega Collective with Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra. Before turning curator, Singh reported for The New York Times in Delhi and conducted research for Harvard on British India and the Partition’s impact on Indian Muslim communities. 

On growing up: “I was raised by a single mother in Delhi, and we lived with my grandparents. My family is originally from Bihar. I studied Multimedia and Mass Communication at Delhi University, which led me into journalism before I pivoted to fashion.”

Why fashion also belongs in museums: “Exhibitions offer the chance to reframe the idea of fashion entirely. You’re not just showing garments. You’re also telling stories, placing objects in context, and creating immersive experiences that can shift perceptions.”

Why we need more fashion curators in India: “There are already so many people in India working deeply with textiles, craft, and design. We don’t need to fly someone in from the West to curate our stories. We can do it ourselves—and we must.”

Her big break started with a 15-minute pitch: “I went to the India Art Fair in January with the idea for this exhibition. They were open to it, and then I pitched the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) as a partner. I had 15 minutes to pitch it to them. They asked thoughtful questions and said yes just like that. FDCI also suggested we host it at the National Crafts Museum. Once that happened, we had the space, and I knew we could expand the show.”

Why the title Reimagining a Way Back to Us: “Because it’s about revisiting indigenous knowledge systems and understanding that these communities aren’t ‘other’. They are us. They’ve always been us. The show seeks to recognise the cultural wealth marginalised communities bring, not just to India, but also to fashion at large.”

Stories you won’t find on runways: “There’s this Habaspuri silk revival in Kalahandi, Odisha, which once had 80 looms, now reduced to four. The silk they produce is beautifully intricate. Then there are the Lambani women of Karnataka. Their community was labelled ‘criminal’ by the British in 1871. Their embroideries tell stories of migration, resistance, and survival. Think shisha mirrors to ward off animals. Cowrie shells for prosperity. Every detail has a reason.”

Giving craft some context: “Each of the eight designers brought something rooted and respectful. 2112 Saldon, for instance, works with Nambu wool and references Ladakhi architecture, monasteries, as well as stories from the Silk Road. Boito from Odisha works with craftspeople in conflict zones, who often only use what’s naturally available. Meanwhile, Kiniho works with Khasi women in Meghalaya, using traditional dyeing techniques with natural materials like lac, turmeric, annatto seeds, iron ore, and seasonal leaves such as sohkhu, diengrnong, and nilu, or snep.”

On what’s broken in Indian museums: “Too many are stuck in the past. Permanent collections are poorly labelled, archived or contextualised. We need rotating exhibitions. More dialogue. Museums should be dynamic public spaces. They shouldn’t just be storage units.”

Her Google history will show: “Why there were urine taxes in ancient Rome. They used human urine to starch garments, so bowls were placed on the streets to collect it.”

Screen-time this week: “I spent eight hours and 40 minutes on Instagram this week. The show just launched, so it was mostly for work.”

The pieces she’ll never give up: “My grandfather’s shawls. He passed away two and a half years ago. He was the only male figure in my life, a true feminist. He always reminded me I could do anything.”

Her dream job in a parallel universe: “A museum cleaner, just to hear what people say when they think no one’s listening. Some of the most hilarious and unexpected feedback comes that way. On opening day, someone walked past one of the garments with a pronounced crotch and said, ‘He must have a big d*ck,’ completely straight-faced. Another looked at our loom setup and went, ‘Now I can make my own garment!’ It’s these offhand comments that tell you exactly how people are receiving the work.”

Reimagining a Way Back to Us: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion and Textiles in India is on view at the National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy, New Delhi, until September 30 this year