Queer in Fashion is a groundbreaking segment of the Nepal Fashion Festival curated by Gehendra Dhimal Foundation in collaboration with IM Swedish Development Partner that is aimed at celebrating and highlighting the LGBTQ+ community's contributions to the fashion industry.

This segment showcases queer designers, models, stylists, and activists about their talents, share their experiences, and discuss the importance of inclusion and diversity within the fashion world.

The segment Queer in Fashion aims to challenge traditional norms and celebrate the beauty of diversity within the fashion industry. Through engaging panel discussions and captivating design performances, it seeks to inspire change and promote diversity and inclusion.

Panel Discussion

Diversity and Inclusion in the Fashion Industry: Representation Matter

Sarosy Neupane

Panelist

Sarosy Neupane is a trailblazing trans woman making waves in Nepali beauty pageants. As a dedicated student of sociology, she brings a unique perspective to her advocacy work. Sarosy is not just a contestant; she's a freedom fighter and a staunch defender of human rights. Her journey in the pageant world is a powerful testament to her resilience and commitment to breaking barriers, inspiring others to embrace their true selves and fight for equality.

A talented makeup artist, model, and LGBTQIA+ activist, Nilam Poudel has been a force in the fashion industry for over a decade. Her expertise spans national and international projects, bringing a unique blend of creativity and professionalism. Alongside her work, Nilam passionately advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights, collaborating with various non-governmental organizations to drive meaningful change.

Nilam Poudel

Panelist

Utkrist Khadka is a distinguished fashion designer, stylist, and faculty member with a robust career in the fashion industry since 2017. With a blend of practical experience and academic involvement, Utkrist Khadka continues to make significant contributions to the fashion industry, shaping the next generation of designers while excelling in his creative endeavors.

Utkrisht Khadka

Panelist

Sabin Basnet is a multifaceted individual, excelling as an entrepreneur, educator, actor, and activist. For over a decade, he has contributed his expertise to the tourism, film, creative, and education industries on both national and international levels. Driven by passion, Sabin advocates for the sustainable creative green economy and emphasizes the transformative power of art, performing arts, and filmmaking in driving societal change.

Moderator

Sabin Basnet

Design Performance

Unveiling Diversity: Queer Couture Collection

This design performance showcases a collection by queer designers, featuring avant-garde designs that celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of LGBTQIAP+ identities. The collection designs that celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of LGBTQ+ identities. The collection incorporates bold colors, innovative silhouettes, and intricate detailing, reflecting the

creativity and individuality of the queer community. Each ensemble was modeled by members of the LGBTQIAP+ community, emphasizing the importance of visibility and representation on the runway.

Aliz Ghimire
(Designer)

Aliz Ghimire at the youthful age of 22, has been steering their gender-fluid brand towards inclusivity and diversity for nearly four remarkable years. Aliz envisions a fashion industry that embraces diversity and empowers individuals to express themselves authentically.

This piece is especially close to my form of art as a very inspiring artist Mila najaskey gifted me this fabric. She photographed this beautiful image from Khaptad. The look is an homage to the collaborative effort of the team that it takes for an artist to bring their art to life. Thank you everyone, Mila, my models, my artisans, my sewist and everyone it took to bring this collection to life
Performer: Laxhya
talk a lot about genders being fluid, as I embrace my femininity, my body adapts to it, covering my nips and hips, wanting to pass as a woman, my wants only grow and grow. The simplicity of what it means to be who we are, should not be limited to what we perceive as the norm. The tragedy hits when we place our limits in our little normative box which I would like to break free from, connecting with myself and recollection of serene femininity.

Performer: Dandy
The genesis began with kangana while watching the movie Fashion which gave me an idea of what I'd be stepping into. But as I grew, I changed and embraced myself, my perception into the fashion world evolved, modified and shifted. The fantasies in my head were replaced by the beauty of reality. The slap of honesty. The direction of where I wanted to be.
Performer: Prasamsha
Fashion has always been Avant Garde, greater than life itself and it is very easy to lose yourself into it. And as I explore it, my truth paints every fabric and my designs become more. They're my expression of truth, of my identity. Of the self, I've been always exploring. I wanted to portray that fashion is not only about being bigger than life but is more so about expression, identity, and being myself.
Performer: Sasha
As I transition into a butterfly or a moth perhaps, I wonder if my wings will ever be as colorful as the ones I see in my dreams, making me giggle and laugh and in love. This piece echoes the sanity of my heart as I finally embrace the fluctuations of life as tiny as we are, perhaps stardust living on a rock. I want nothing but to embrace the spiral.
Performer: Shakura
While doing everything as a solo artist, I wanted to take a moment and be vulnerable. Sometimes when we artists make art, we doubt ourselves. We tell ourselves that we want everything to make this right. Sometimes we cannot make it the exact way we want it to be. So I felt as if taking some time to express the vulnerability aspect of projects should be at the front hand. And knowing that we ourselves as humans can never be perfect, should be acknowledged.
Performer: Sanwika
Perception of nurturing femininity; possibly holding onto the truth of what it means to be feminine, to be understanding of limits between the tide and the moon. The teal and the silver. I seem to stand at the edge of it, only looking but never getting to embrace it whole. As always perceiving things to be different while I play with what-ifs. What if the truth was that there was nowhere to grow but there was only one way to run? Towards !!!
Performer: Suvam
My obsession with marriage started early on in life, but as a queer person living in Nepal, it never seemed to be possible. But my longing for that beautiful Bollywood-like marriage corners a part of me. Oh dear life will I ever find someone to live you with?
Performer: Rick