The history of India's freedom struggle is interwoven with the charkha – the unusual weapon, employed by Mahatma Gandhi to spread the message of swadeshi. Gandhi gave the art of khadi, a special status through this movement. However, with the ending of the freedom movement, the popularity of khadi faded under the onslaught of rayon and nylon.
Not Quite the Poor-Man’s Cloth
One of the first challenges for people, who wanted to popularise the fabric was to prove, the popular notion wrong, that khadi was only a poor man's garment. The somewhat rough texture, uneven finishing, and above all, the dull designs made khadi rather unattractive and failed to appeal to the fashion-conscious.
Khadi's latest avatar, however, is brightly coloured and gossamer fine. While designers sing paeans of praise to the versatility of the fabric, wearers swear by its practicality and comfort. It is not only the perfect answer to India's hot and humid summers but also provides adequate protection against winter chill.
Leading designers like Rohit Bal, Jatin Kochchar, Malini Ramani, and Bhavna Thareja, and up market clothes brands like Fabindia and Anokhi have given to the traditional handspun fabric a modern and contemporary look. With its stylish cuts and innovative colours, khadi has come to define the trendy ethnic look. Its easy adaptability to a range of designs makes it amenable to both formal and informal look, as well as Indian and western styles. Stores stack a range of dresses in khadi - jackets, skirts, kurtas, dupattas, sarees, cropped tops, capris, trousers, wrap-arounds, spaghetti tops, trousers; you name it and have it. Little wonder that khadi is a hot favourite with the young and not-so-young.
‘Khaddar’ as an Indian fabric has generated a lot of international interest. According to Ritu Kumar, "The whole look of the handlooms of India is permeating all over the world with its textural appeal. Bhagalpuri silk or the textures of Khadi for instance, have a very strong appeal, not only to a less expensive bohemian market, but also to a much larger section of the society. The top end of fashion, too, is being influenced by it."
Celebration of Khadi
"Khadi deserves to be recognised not just as a dead metaphor but for its living beauty, its comfort and versatility", says Pranavi Kapoor, designer
Khadi is our heritage, connected with our soil and lifestyle and it has lived on for hundreds of years across generations. Fortunately, many fashion houses felt they must try to save our heritage at all costs. “You cannot claim originality borrowing other things and depending on foreign ideas, so khadi is the natural choice. If people get trendy, they will prefer good quality khadi products to foreign ones and won't even mind paying a little more,” says Pranavi. So khadi serves both purposes - of satisfying the demand of fashion as well as making people proud of wearing local product.Over the last two decades, khadi goods have come a long way both in terms of quality and design. What has made various fashion houses succeed is their ability to adapt their khadi products to contemporary tastes.
Designers Step In
One particular change has been the diversification of products. For a long time the use of khadi was confined to only a few items like punjabis, kurtas and kotis. Designers have recently begun experimenting with a whole variety of khadi products including saris, salwar kameezes and even western dresses. To add a fresh look, old-fashioned workmanship has been blended with modern style to find newer, subtler ways to evoke the spirit of Khadi. So you find it being used in bags, home furnishings, interiors, etc.
Reviving textiles in all their beauty, both in India and in the West, has been part of Ritu Kumar's fashion mission ever since she launched herself as a designer. Her labour of love, 'Sutra -- the thread that binds', was exhibited at the prestigious Glasgow School of Art, London.
Kumar's name has been synonymous with the revival of Indian textiles and crafts. Little wonder, therefore, that when the late Princess Diana wanted an authentic Indian ethnic outfit, she went directly to Kumar's boutique in London. For, a Ritu Kumar ensemble is a painstakingly researched garment that will stand the vagaries of the fashion world and remain a show stopper. Mahatma Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu, Jawaharlal Nehru and Khan Abdul Gafar Khan were Ritu Kumar’s inspirations. Kumar is one of the designers who have been responsible for popularising the khadi fabric beyond the boundaries of the country.
Delhi-based designers Soma Kumar, Ranna, Seema Roy, Anju Modi and Vijay and Shobhana Arora have worked extensively with the fabric and displayed their version of fashion. Pranavi Kapoor has used khadi in stylish jackets, skirts and sarongs, providing a look that is both formal and softly elegant. She has also used the fall and feel of muslin khadi for classy outfits.Fashion Shows etc…
Fashion houses and brands are working together to create awareness and popularity for the fabric. At the Femina Young Designers' Contest, the Khadi & Village Industries Commission Fashion and tradition walked hand-in-hand on the runway. Fashion shows are organised by Corporates and designers to facilitate the spirit of Independence and the fabric used is— Khadi, of course!
Pranavi Kapoor says: "Khadi is the proud and emotive symbol of our freedom struggle. But ever since then it has been left in the domain of tacky emporia and used just to make dowdy kurtas worn by social workers. Khadi deserves to be recognised not just as a dead metaphor but for its living beauty, its comfort and versatility."
Fashion designers are however, confident that khadi has a huge potential. Internationally, people are fond of linen. And khadi is the purest form of linen. And with more khadi dresses going off the shelf in markets overseas, it has persuaded the domestic market to give the textile more than a second glance. "It is a slow process, khadi will have more takers in the domestic market and like in the West, and it will be cherished for what it is. Buying khadi can easily become a habit," says Vijay Lakshmi Dogra.
