SUSTAINABLE FASHION DAY
Khadi India / Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) showcased a Khadi Presentation curated by FDCI, as part of Sustainable Fashion Day.The showcase featured khadi ensembles by several leading Indian designers and also went on to make history as it featured the first ever khadi presentation in the country by an international designer.
The show, divided into two segments, first featured ensembles by French designer Mossi Traoré and the second segment included collections by India’s top designers viz. Abhishek Gupta Benares, Anavila, Anju Modi, Charu Parashar and Rina Dhaka.
The first segment saw Khadi travel overseas to Paris in the hands of French-Malian designer Mossi Traoré who turned his attention to Khadi and gave it his creative touches, as he paid homage to Indian savoir-faire. The collection was visualised around drapes, movement of design and architectural lines as he reinterpreted some of his iconic ensembles into Khadi. It was interesting to note that the line drew its connection between Mossi’s French “Made in Banlieue” brand and the traditional Indian fabric. The look was a great fashion fusion of dynamic clothing with a blend of textures, colours, materials and silhouettes.
A great line up of white, fuchsia, saffron and purple ensembles brought a new dimension to Khadi. Asymmetric shirts and skirts, plunged neckline jacket, wrap pants, kaftan, batwing blouse, baggy blouson, a sari drape blouse, and white jumpsuit had simplicity but oodles of style. The drop-waist, long-sleeved dress and the dual coloured, panelled, maxi brought a hint of formal dressing.
The second segment showcased timeless ensembles in hues of white, black and spice by Indian designers Abhishek Gupta Benaras, Anavila, Anju Modi, Charu Parashar and Rina Dhaka and paid tribute to the much textured material khadi.
ABHISHEK GUPTA BENARAS:
Abhishek Gupta Benaras brought a new twist to the way Khadi is designed. His men’s and women’s line ensured that fabric manipulation was the focal point, while the cut and structure was impeccably executed. The designer offered a modern Indian look that gave Khadi an interesting millennial appeal for the traditional wear in pastels with delicate embroidery. Going for the all-black look with hints of shimmer the blouse and wide pants, hoodie kurta with palazzos and the waistcoat/kurta/pant trio spelt relaxed dressing up. Men’s wear stayed true to just kurta and bundi with slim pants.
ANAVILA:
Anavila Misra known for her efforts in promoting sustainable fashion gave her designing touches to her Khadi collection created with fabrics expertly woven by the weavers of the Burdwan region in West Bengal. It was her conscious decision to only use natural dyes for the delicate, contemporary jamdaani motifs that added the perfect organic appeal to the saris and kept the collection deeply rooted in the ethos of the region. The delicate saris, long kurta, salwars, tunic and cropped pants were great summer looks.
ANJU MODI:
Working with the inspirations that revolved around Sattva – one of the three gunas in the Hindu and Samkhya philosophy, Anju Modi’s “Sattvic” collection was a tribute to the indigenous energy and vibration through fabrics. Her silhouettes were explored through design and organically developed, as the clothes stayed rooted on the Sattvic path. Anju’s colour story revolved around haldi, chandan and Keshri that turned the ensembles into a serene and pious offering to the wearer who aims at clothing not only for the body but also the soul. With gorgeous yellow and white as the combo with a hint of pink and fuchsia, there were shaded kurtas, angarkha and luxurious lehenga, choli and dupatta trios.
CHARU PARASHAR:
Charu Parashar turned her creative gaze on “The Khadi Bride” as she glamorised the humble fabric of India and turned it into a bridal trousseau essential. Her experiments with the pre-wedding line creations in beautiful Khadi silk were splashed with hot spicy coloured prints and hand crafted to create memorable wedding wear. An ornate scalloped kurta, choli with pleated lungi, kurta with wide pants, the final sari with a long coat for the bride and sherwani for the groom were all perfect bridal attire in shades of haldi and green.
RINA DHAKA:
Rina Dhaka’s love for Khadi and eco-friendly fashion has been a conscious decision and constant, which the designer has followed for decades. Rina has always believed in timeless pieces in every sense and kept on the sustainable path with the Khadi fabric, which is totally pro-planet. Rina’s Khadi collection will probably bring out the gypsy in every woman with its fresh floral touches and feminine fluidity of drapes. The silhouettes were breezy, lightweight and totally skin friendly, as the creations in eco-friendly Khadi swirled down the ramp on graceful models. A great line of flared kurta with cuffed pants, corset choli with a trendy maxi skirt and the palazzos with long over shirt, signalled to easy dressing
Closing the grand Khadi show was the very sophisticated, Bollywood star, Padma Shri Kangana Ranaut who dazzled on the ramp in the white self-design sari and a knee length matching coat.
Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chairman KVIC
“Khadi has always been an instrument of social change and has transformed into a tool of resilience, resurgence, and self-reliance in modern times. From being a humble attire across India, Khadi has evolved into a symbol of sustainable fashion and ultimate luxury. Joining hands with FDCI for this exclusive presentation helped cut across geographies and reach global audiences and entice younger generations towards Khadi with clothing that is comfortable, easy to wear and trendy.”
Sunil Sethi, Chairman FDCI
“It is an honor to collaborate with KVIC and curate a Khadi presentation, as we celebrate sustainable fashion at FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week. With this showcase, we aimed to bring to the fore Khadi’s true potential and catapult it in the global arena. We are proud to have had renowned Indian designers as well as an international designer showcase their unique interpretation that is poised to take the sustainable lifestyle conversation to a larger audience.”
