JOIN USDesigner Sunaina Suneja loves experimenting with khadi
"As a design fraternity, it is our responsibility to promote responsible fashion and give something back to society. By promoting this fabric, we will be giving employment to many artisans and at the same time enriching our textile heritage," Suneja said.
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"The demand for handspun, handwoven khadi fabric is very high, and we designers should use it more often in our collection because it is cool, comfortable and not a boring fabric. Khadi is no more associated with a unisex kurta. If designed properly, the fabric can be used to make an elegant evening wear as well," she added.
Delhi-based Suneja has been working and researching on this fabric for more than 20 years and feels that making of this fabric is a very humble task.
"Working with and researching the making of khadi is a very humble task. Its production is so awe-inspiring and you also understand the wonders of handspun yarn. I believe that this research has helped me acquire a special affinity for these textiles," she explained.
Suneja, 52, also loves working with the handcrafted textiles of India and shaping them into styles that are totally Indian, Western or a blend of the two.
"My designs are a mix of contemporary designs blended with traditional craftsmanship, and this reflects in my collections that are very trendy, youthful yet elegant," she added.
As the election fever is already on, Suneja has launched her 'The Election Collection' that gives a message to everyone to cast their vote and is also urging people to wear khadi on election day.
"This is the first time that there are strong campaigns to urge people to come out and vote. Inspired by this, I have used khadi as my medium to send out a strong message across every Indian citizen to vote," the designer said.
Suneja has used the slogan 'Show you care, insist you count, cast your ballot, make your mark' to promote her collection.
The collection has something for everyone - from chudidars, small kurtis, long kurtas, skirts and dresses in whites, creams and beige.
"This is a summer collection so it is very cool and comfortable and the colour palette is light because people prefer to wear light colours during summer," she said.
Suneja has for the past few years been urging the government to declare one day in the year as National Khadi Day and encourage people to wear khadi on that day to pay a tribute to the vision of Mahatma Gandhi.
"Gandhiji always believed in promoting community service and through this proposal, I feel that we could share his vision and contribute to society indirectly," Suneja explained.
"Khadi is a part of our heritage and if a day is given to celebrate its existence, I believe we can also create an awareness among youngsters about this beautiful fabric that has somehow lost its relevance in the glitter of synthetic fabrics," she added.