Omi Gurung, a fashion designer, climate activist, and social entrepreneur, has made waves in eco-friendly fashion, earning him the title “Green Man of Sikkim.” He owns Green Gangtok, one of the first eco-friendly fashion boutiques in the region.
A design graduate from Bangalore, Omi realised early in his career that managing waste is essential to sustainable fashion. “When I returned to Sikkim, I started Green Gangtok, a boutique that sells natural products. We offer apparel, accessories, and artifacts crafted by artisans from across the region and India. Every product we sell is of excellent quality and is made with love by our craftsmen,” he says. Green Gangtok’s mission is to create products that are both beautiful and functional.
Omi sees social media as a powerful tool for representing the Northeast in the mainstream. “Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp have allowed us to showcase our talent to an international audience,” he explains. He believes Facebook has helped inspire millennials to care about climate issues: “Social media is like a bag full of knowledge—whatever you need to learn is available online.” During the COVID-19 lockdown, Facebook became a lifeline, allowing people to share their feelings and offer each other both emotional and, at times, financial support.
Proud to be a social entrepreneur, Omi highlights the impact his work has had: “We are driven by a mission to protect the environment, and through this small business, I can empower women who have never attended school. We’ve taught them essential skills, like opening a bank account.”
In his campaigns, Omi Gurung uses fashion to promote environmental awareness. “We started with a T-shirt campaign—turning a T-shirt into a reusable bag in just a minute. It’s a fun, simple process that anyone, from a five-year-old to an 85-year-old, can do. A T-shirt bag significantly cuts down on single-use plastic bags.” Omi believes even small actions can have a big impact, extending an item’s life to prevent it from ending up in a landfill.
Green Gangtok’s products are all natural, handmade, upcycled, recycled, or environmentally friendly. From tea tables to apparel, everything is locally and ethically sourced. Omi is incredibly proud of his team’s work, saying, “We’re a small group, but I have a team of skilled women who excel not only in their craft but also as homemakers, caring for their families and children.”
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