The splendour of khadi

FASHION FORWARD

Khadi seems to never go out of fashion. It has stood the test of time and has only become grander and richer.

Designers across the country have experimented with the fabric and brought a twist to it.

No doubt, the fabric creates a curiosity among the common man and leaves much to be discovered for designers.

Prasad Bidapa, a fashion and image consultant, calls khadi the ‘fabric of India’. He points out that many emotions are associated with this humble fabric.

“When Mahatma Gandhi used it as a powerful symbol of the freedom struggle, he wanted it to resonate down the ages. He wanted it to be the eternal reminder of a struggle that enabled every Indian to walk free from a slavery that was abhorrent and unjust. We must carry this spirit on,” he states.

The designers call khadi an ‘easy fabric’. Designers Jason Cherian and Anshu not only promote khadi by wearing it themselves but says that the garment is easy to work with because of its depth.

“Khadi works best for those who understand and have experienced the fabric. I have noticed that although young people like the fabric, they prefer branded clothes. But khadi is here to stay,” he adds.   
 
Designers, like Tara Aslam, celebrate khadi in every sense of the term.

At a time when people are talking about going green, Tara wonders why people don’t take to khadi as easily as branded clothes.

Her label ‘Nature Alley’  has every kind of garment in khadi.

“I don’t use any chemicals in the fabric. Even for colouring, I use dried pomegranate skin. Unless there is no other option, people must stop using artificial colouring in khadi,” she observes. According to her, there is no age bar when it comes to khadi. “I think the young and the old take to it with ease,” she notes.   
 
Bibi Russell, another designer, has been working with khadi for as long as she can remember and confesses that she can’t imagine her collection without it.

“I have always been impressed with khadi. It’s such an environment-friendly fabric and a pleasure to work with. It also feels good to slip into a khadi outfit at any time,” she says.

Bibi’s collection not only includes saris but jackets, salwars and accessories too.

Prasad adds that there was a time when khadi flourished but with the advent of cheaper and easy-to-maintain synthetic fabrics, the demand for hand-woven and handloomed textiles has reduced drastically.

But he also points out that there are designers who have dedicated themselves to the cause of khadi, just to keep it alive.