Every so often, Indian fashion pauses to realign itself with its roots, reminding us where our stories begin. The Navyug Khadi showcase did exactly that, offering a refined, modern retelling of Khadi — one that felt fresh, relevant, and unmistakably future-facing.
Hosted at the atmospheric amphitheater of the National Crafts Museum & Hastakala Academy in Pragati Maidan, the evening unfolded like a gentle reset, a reminder of the quiet power and depth of India’s handcrafted heritage. Presented by the Center of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK), set up by the Ministry of MSME in association with NIFT, and curated by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the showcase brought together the changemakers shaping Khadi’s next chapter. Shri Manoj Kumar, Chairman of the Khadi & Village Industries Commission, CoEK CEO Ms. Roop Rashi, NIFT Director General Smt. Tanu Kashyap, and FDCI Chairman Sunil Sethi set a tone of vision and cultural intent.
What unfolded was not a traditional runway but an experience — a seamless interplay of fashion, movement, and sound that allowed the textile to speak for itself. The amphitheatre transformed into an intimate theatre where Khadi revealed unexpected dimensions: contemporary saris with confident drapes, fluid separates designed for modern wardrobes, sculpted silhouettes nodding to global minimalism, and thoughtful upcycled pieces carrying a quiet sustainability.
Designed by CoEK and crafted by Khadi institutions across the country, the garments wove together regional skill into one cohesive story. No two pieces felt alike, yet each carried the same essence — Khadi as a living, evolving craft rather than a relic of nostalgia. Here, heritage felt light, current, and intuitively aligned with a new generation.
Performance elements deepened the experience. Live singing threaded between sequences, dancers added a fluidity that echoed the motion of handspun yarn, and the show progressed with an unhurried grace. Every detail reinforced a simple truth: Khadi thrives in presence, in movement, and in the rhythm of human hands.
Ultimately, the evening reflected a shared commitment by CoEK, NIFT, and FDCI — to position Khadi not only as a cultural emblem but as an aspirational, contemporary fabric. And at the center of this reinvention remain the artisans who spin, weave, and sustain its legacy; their skill continues to be the heartbeat of every thread.
The Navyug Khadi exhibition runs at the National Crafts Museum until 3 December 2025. For visitors, it offers more than a showcase — it captures a textile in transition, moving from a history of resilience to a future shaped by reinvention, expressive in its elegance and attuned to the rhythm of modern India.
