SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST - Genderless label embraces diversity

Pink isn’t just for girls: a designer big on gender inclusivity, Amesh Wijesekera brings florals, prints and skorts to men’s fashion.

THE JUGGERNAUT - How We Get the Job Done: Ayush Kejriwal

For UK-based designer Ayush Kejriwal, fair isn’t lovely. Instead, “dark is beautiful,” and he’s weaving it into his saris. “The sari is one garment that you can pick up without feeling bad about yourself,” he said. “It’s so forgiving.”

THE JUGGERNAUT - The rise of India’s male belly dancers

“On stage, Anirudh Ahlawat moves intricately in heels, which he later declares to me as his specialty. He’s wearing long black pants and a rolled-up black sweater that hugs his body and sits right above his belly button. Most men shy away from belly dancing, but not Ahlawat. When he comes off the stage, he’s swarmed by his loyal spectators, who snap selfies with the small-town star.”

BBC - How Gen Z is putting a fresh spin on a centuries-old fashion

The sari, a traditionally modest and 'feminine' garment, is being re-interpreted and re-energised by a new wave of fashion fans. Zinara Rathnayake meets some of them, and finds out why.

BBC - The ingenious living bridges of India

When monsoon clouds bring pelting rains to the village of Tyrna, Shailinda Syiemlieh takes the nearest bridge to reach the opposite bank of a gushing stream. The bridge is no ordinary structure made of concrete and metal. Instead, it is composed of a single giant fig tree that sits by the riverbank, and the support that Syiemlieh walks over is a mishmash of aerial roots tightly knotted and woven together. The bridge is not only a part of the landscape, it is helping to support its ecosystem at the same time.

Tyrna lies just above the plains of Bangladesh in the north-eastern Indian state of Meghalaya, which hosts hundreds of these bridges. For centuries, they have helped the indigenous Khasi and Jaintia communities to cross swelling rivers in monsoons. "Our ancestors were so clever," says Syiemlieh, "When they couldn't cross rivers, they made Jingkieng Jri – the living root bridges."

ATLAS OBSCURA - How Indian Perfumers Capture the Smell of Rain

The alluring musky fragrance of marigolds floats from a Hindu shrine, as a group of men laugh over ginger-infused milk teas served in clay cups called kulhads. In a nearby perfume distillery, a man turns his head towards the laughter as he crushes a batch of discarded kulhads. Here in Kannauj, a town in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, generations of perfumers have used kulhads and other clay materials to capture an enticing scent known as mitti attar.

ATLAS OBSCURA - Pakistan’s Trucks Are Vibrant, Bedazzled Works of Art

There are more than 277,000 trucks on Pakistan’s roads. With their heavy loads, they crawl through the narrow routes of the country’s eastern river valleys toward the rocky expanses of the southwest plateaus and—usually—to the snow-capped Karakoram mountains in the north; recent catastrophic flooding has swept away key bridges in the devastated region. Pakistan depends on these trucks for most of the country’s transportation needs. But they also fill another need: a platform to parade the country’s culture.

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR - Endurance test: How Sri Lanka’s batik artists keep the craft alive

Jezima Mohammed has run a small workshop and boutique, Jez Look Batiks, from her home in Matara, Sri Lanka, for nearly seven decades. Now in her 80s, she still works every day. When visitors stop by, the batik artist proudly shows off framed letters from Buckingham Palace and a photo of Queen Elizabeth II sporting a white satin scarf with baby pink florals – one of her designs. Meanwhile, outside, a group of artisans meticulously outline peacock motifs onto off-white fabric with boiling hot wax. 

“They are my girls,” she says of the 16 women currently employed by her shop, “and we work like a family.” 

ATLAS OBSCURA - How This Demon Dance Banishes Illnesses in Sri Lanka’s Remote Jungles

As dusk falls, the thumping sound of drums echoes through the jungles of central Sri Lanka. Elaborately dressed dancers spin and swirl as their ornate silver headpieces gleam and bright red ribbons trail behind them. Their chests rise and fall beneath silver-beaded breastplates and two large mango-shaped earrings adorn their ears. The dancers carry candle-lit, hollowed-out coconuts and chant verses inviting gods and demons to their ritual. Sweet-smelling smoke from jasmine incense fills the air, obscuring the view of a banana bark altar with pictures of various Buddhist deities. As hundreds gather, the dancers tell the sad tale of the mythic, magical queen Kuweni.

THE NATIONAL - Fatima Haidari's inspiring journey from shepherd girl to tour guide in Afghanistan: 'I feel empowered now'

When I was 8 years old, girls from my province weren’t allowed to go to school. I was this little shepherd girl. I would run after sheep and cows, hiking with them in the mountains. It brought me closer to nature, and it was the first time I ever guided someone,” says 22-year-old Fatima Haidari, who is believed to be the first female tour guide in Afghanistan.

AB MAGAZINE, ACCA - Passion for learning

Since joining the Auditor General’s Office (AGO) in the Maldives 22 years ago, Shirumeena Hussain has gone on to become the first woman to hold the assistant auditor general post in the country, overseeing the finances across different public institutions while also helping create a performance audit department. The Maldivian national says commitment and passion for learning have been the keys to her success.

CATAPULT - Life Lessons With The Cacti Uncle of Sri Lanka

“Leave it alone and it knows how to grow,” says Uncle Nimal. “If you care too much, it will die.”

ATLAS OBSCURA - Capturing Sri Lanka’s Ancient, Almost Lost Martial Art

Photographer Reza Akram spent seven years documenting angampora, an indigenious fighting style banned by British colonizers. 

THEM. - 4 Queer South Asian Designers Pioneering Genderless, Sustainable Fashion

As fashion has emerged as a medium for the South Asian queer community to embrace their identity, a new wave of fashion designers are challenging social norms and breaking barriers both within and outside the region