Khadi: A Style Statement

The handspun and handwoven organic cotton speaks of India’s past and holds the power ofa glorified future. In a Bazaar exclusive,leading designers share their views sustaining its significance.

- Priya Kumari Rana

Khadi, for the last century, has symbolised the birth of India as a modern nation, a tool of self-reliance, in a land that has had a long-standing tradition of handwoven and handspun cloth. Taking its etymology from the word khaddar (handwoven), it was spun in Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram on the banks of the Sabarmati as a symbol of resistance to the British Raj; the fibre spun into yarn by hand on a wooden charkha (wheel).

The fascination for this fabric has led to some designers experimenting with it, finding brilliant new iterations. Design virtuoso Rajesh Pratap Singh, known for his minimal silhouettes, has been using khadi in his collections for well over a decade. “Woven khadi, when done right, gives it air pockets and makes it comfortable to wear because of the breadth of the yarn and the weave itself” says Rajesh.

“It is almost like second skin,” adds Urvashi, whose latest collection Apara featured naturally-dyed khadi, handspun and handwoven in jamdani weaves. “This is the lightest textile you can wear,” says the designer, whose 2013 khadi collection impressed audiences. Experimentation with jamdani as embellishment on this handspun cloth is also something that Anavila Misra believes in. Known for her saris (70 percent of her output), Anavila believes that because of its luxurious comfort, khadi can be a fabric of the future, but she adds that the processes involved in making it come at a cost, making it inaccessible to the masses.