Anu Shrestha Brings Nepali Dhaka and Laligurans (Rhododendron – Nepal’sNational Flower) to Bangkok’s Global Silk Exhibition
Nepali Dhaka fabric and Laligurans motifs became part of an international fashion showcase in Bangkok through a creation by Anu Shrestha. The designer behind Kallisto Designs represented Nepal at the Amazing Thailand Global Thai Silk Exhibition with an ensemble combining Nepal’s textile heritage and Thai silk.
Titled “Woven in Strength: A Dialogue Between Thailand and Nepal,” the design paired a sculptural top with a floral skirt and detachable drapes. It brought together materials from two countries while giving Nepali weaving and design a place in an exhibition featuring designers from more than 100 nations.
The exhibition ran from October 11 to 18, 2026, with displays at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center and Siam Paragon. It coincided with Bangkok’s hosting of the IMF–World Bank Group Annual Meetings.
Nepali Dhaka at the Heart of the Design
For Shrestha, the project offered an opportunity to present Nepali textiles through a contemporary outfit. According to Kallisto Designs, the ensemble combined Thai silk with locally woven Nepali Dhaka featuring Laligurans, Nepal’s national flower.
The organisers described the creation as an equal combination of Thai silk and local Nepali fabric. That balance gave both countries’ materials a central role in the finished design.
Dhaka and Laligurans provided the ensemble with its Nepali identity. In Kallisto’s explanation of the design, the floral motifs represented courage, renewal and hope.
The black Thai silk carried a different meaning. The label described it as a tribute to Thailand’s period of royal mourning, bringing remembrance into a design that also looked towards renewal.
A Dress Designed to Transform
Shrestha explored those ideas through the structure of the outfit as well as its fabrics.
The sculptural top, floral skirt and detachable drapes created an adaptable ensemble with different styling possibilities. Kallisto linked that ability to transform with resilience, showing how individual pieces could offer different ways to wear the design.
The label said the creation reflected the theme “Empowering People, Building Resilience,” connecting its design choices with the wider cultural exchange project associated with the annual meetings.
Its title, “Woven in Strength,” also drew attention to the work behind the garment. Kallisto described the ensemble as a tribute to designers, weavers and artisans whose skills keep textile traditions alive.
By using locally woven Dhaka in a contemporary silhouette, Shrestha’s contribution placed those skills within a new fashion setting. Nepali craftsmanship remained central to the design, alongside the Thai silk supplied for the project.
Representing Nepal Through Kallisto Designs
Kallisto Designs welcomed the invitation in a social media post, describing the label as “truly honoured and grateful” to participate.
The Kathmandu-based label offers hand-painted clothing and accessories, including sarees, scarves and contemporary garments. For the Bangkok exhibition, its focus turned to combining Nepali textile traditions with a material shared by designers across the participating countries.
Kallisto described the showcase as an opportunity to introduce Nepal’s textile heritage to an international audience while celebrating friendship and creative exchange between Nepal and Thailand.
That approach gave Shrestha’s contribution a clear identity within the wider exhibition. Dhaka fabric, Laligurans motifs and adaptable draping connected the outfit’s appearance with its story of craftsmanship, courage and hope.
A Shared Fabric, Different Cultural Stories
The Tourism Authority of Thailand organised the exhibition in collaboration with the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions. Designers received Thai silk and were invited to create new garments expressing their countries’ identities, cultures and traditions.
The initiative expanded on a similar project held during Thailand’s hosting of APEC in 2022, when designers combined Thai silk with textiles from their own countries.
For Nepal’s contribution, Shrestha brought the emphasis back to local fabric and the people who make it. “Woven in Strength” presented Nepali Dhaka as a material with a place in contemporary international fashion, carrying the work of Nepal’s weavers into a cultural exchange in Bangkok.
