Kathmandu, Feb. 28 -- About seven years ago, Nepali supermodel Varsha Thapa, subsumed headlines presenting laccha dori as her 'signature waist-grazing braids'. Vogue presented her as 'The Nepali model whose ribbon braids are a New York Street Style Phenomenon.'

She was, in other words, an icon who introduced laccha, not just through its conventional significance but as a fashion statement that amplified the richness of its cultural value and identity.

"It makes me feel unstoppable, unbreakable, like a very strong, powerful woman," she shared with Vogue.

Laccha dori and chaubandi cholo, in recent years, have significantly resurfaced and been reinterpreted as everyday fashion amongst the youths of Nepal, reclaiming their cultural identit...