FDCI x India Art Fair Unveil “Re-imagining A Way Back to Us”
Marking National Handloom Day 2025, the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and the India Art Fair have come together to present an evocative exhibition, “Re-imagining A Way Back to Us: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion and Textiles in India.” Hosted at the National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy, New Delhi, this two-month-long showcase celebrates the country’s rich handloom heritage while exploring its dialogue with modern design.
A Curated Celebration of India’s Textile Heritage
The exhibition spans the Innovation Gallery and Textile Gallery II, inaugurated by Smt. Neelam Shammi Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, in the presence of senior ministry officials and the leadership of both FDCI and the India Art Fair.
Curated by Sunil Sethi (Textile Gallery) and Sreyansi Singh (Innovation Gallery), the exhibition brings together an exceptional lineup of artisan-led and design-driven labels, including 2112 Saldon (Ladakh), 7Weaves (Assam), Boito (Odisha), Bun.Kar Bihar (Bihar), Erode (Tamil Nadu), Johargram (Jharkhand), Kiniho (Meghalaya), and Tega Collective with Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra (Karnataka).
Through immersive installations, visitors are invited to witness how ancestral craftsmanship and contemporary aesthetics converge, narrating stories of communities, landscapes, and evolving design traditions.
Crafting a Future for Indian Handloom
According to Sunil Sethi, Chairman of FDCI, the initiative is “a bridge between our craft heritage and the future of cultural innovation, fostering meaningful dialogue around textiles, sustainability, and contemporary Indian fashion.”
Echoing this vision, Jaya Asokan, Fair Director of India Art Fair, highlighted the importance of cross-institutional collaboration in “preserving and advancing indigenous design talent for generations to come.”
Open to All: Experience the Future of Heritage
Located at Pragati Maidan, the exhibition runs for two months and is open to the public, offering an enriching journey for anyone passionate about India’s handloom traditions, indigenous artistry, and sustainable design futures. Visitors can explore textile narratives from across India, meet the visionaries behind them, and discover how the threads of the past are being rewoven for tomorrow.
