FASHION SPECIAL..KHADI SPINS AN INTERNATIONAL TREND

KHADI SPINS AN INTERNATIONAL TREND

From New York to Paris, the Mahatma’s fabric is haute this season.

    Aboutique at 37, Rue Debelleyme, one of the most chic streets in Paris, is attracting a large number of people of late. It does not sell fancy silk, cashmere or designer clothes that the fashion capital of Europe is known for; Danish textile designer Bess Neilsen’s Khadi & Co displays an exotic range of khadi kurtas, tunics and trousers that have become a rage for Parisians as well as tourists who visit the city. Neilson says,“My ultimate dream is to use lot of colour and chikan embroidery on khadi, with modern techniques. The best part of this fabric is that it’s a fabric of maturity.”
    Fashion designer Christina Kim’s shop Dosa, in Los Angeles, USA, sells high-end khadi clothes. Her Bohemian aesthetic with simple shapes has made quite a few Hollywood biggies her fans.
    Indian fashion designer Gaurang Shah, who gave a new spin to khadi at his show at Berlin Fashion Week last month, is getting ready for another khadi special this November — the prestigious New York Fashion Week.
    Clearly, Mahatma Gandhi’s fabric of compassion is making a big global statement this fall. Says Neilson from Khadi & Co, Paris, about the fabric’s current ‘haute’ status: “There’s great beauty in hand-spun khadi. Its unique flexibility keeps you warm in winter and fresh in summer.” Tourists from all over the world, especially Japan and Italy, love their kurtas in white, and the black pashmina waistcoats. Neilson’s range of shawls, tunics, scarves too fly off the shelves pretty fast.
    Though appreciated for being eco-friendly and sustainable, khadi was criticised for its coarse texture and limited design range. But Shah, who personally loves the fabric, added a twist by giving khadi a modern makeover, in Berlin. “I used 80 to 100 counts of thread per inch to make the fabric more malleable (traditionally khadi uses 60 counts of thread per inch). My collection of khadi had colourful floral patterns on a cream base.” Berlin was fascinated by the skirts, flowy dresses and jumpsuits that Shah’s collection displayed. “I’ve got weavers in Andhra Pradesh who work with myriad hues of khadi. They have done some very intricate embroidery, and managed to make the fabric global,” he says.
    Kim, whose clients include Jennifer Aniston and Michelle Obama, has been listed as one of the most influential names in the world of sustainable fashion by Time magazine. She has recently brought her collection to India, which is being sold at Mumbai’s Bungalow 8. “My aim isn’t to make just fashion products. I want my fabric and designs to express individuality. I want khadi to become a way of being and feeling.” The fact that her products are becoming popular in Los Angeles and New York shows that khadi’s appeal has become far more international. The khadi craze isn’t limited to clothes. In London’s Conran shop, Abraham & Thakore’s khadi cushions have a unique desi charm. Says David of the designer duo, “Khadi beautifully utilises certain skills. At the Conran shop, we sell plain, undyed fine khadi cushions without any o r n a m e n t at i o n ; there’s a huge demand for handmade khadi products.”
Sotheby’s London recently hosted an exhibition of contemporary design named ‘Inspired by India’. The show featured textiles, ceramics, jewellery, furniture and photography by established designers, such as Alice Cicolini, Rahul Kumar and Sabyasachi Mukherjee and also showed works from up-and-coming artists such as Els Woldhek and Pia Wustenberg. They have all been inspired by the culture, colours and crafts of India. Curator Janice Blackburnd says, “All the designers I have selected share a passion for India. They have produced work which is a successful marriage between the best of fine fabrics and original designs, without compromising the rich tradition of India’s hand-making processes.”
    Explains Aman Nath, architect, interior designer and co-chairman of Neemrana Hotel, Rajasthan, “The West loves simplicity, and khadi is a fabric that defines simplicity as well as style.”
    Whether it’s khadi towels, the Gandhi lamp, wooden bowls, or clothes made out of this fabric, the message is clear: simplicity and minimalism are always in vogue.

Nona Walia TL120819