Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), the Indian government’s agency charged with the promotion and development of khadi and other village industries, held the Khadi Fashion Show 2021 in New Delhi earlier last week.
The show was curated by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and showcased about 60 designs of 10 upcoming fashion designers. The 10 designers were selected following the results of an All-India Khadi Designers Competition, organised in order to introduce new design interventions and add a modern take to Khadi. KVIC almost 400 nominations from young fashion designers from across India, who were then screened by a jury comprising fashion designers, experts from design institutes and other top officials of KVIC.
The jury went on to select the top three designers as a result of the showcase which included Swatti Kapoor, who received the first price, Dhruv Singh, who stood second, and designer duo Kaushal Singh and Gaurav Singh, who bagged third place in the competition. As the winner of the first prize, designer Swatti Kapoor received a cash reward of ₹10 lakh for her collection which was inspired by the 19th Century poem titled “Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The designer used fine Khadi muslin mixed with techniques like hand block printing, crochet as well as hand embroidery.
Image Source: Prakati.in
The event was aimed at establishing a connect between KVIC and the younger generation so as to encourage the use and promotion of the fabric. In a statement about the initiative, the chairman of KVIC, Vinai Kumar Saxena said, “The creations of these contestants will soon be made available at Khadi India outlets as designer wear. The idea is to attract younger generations towards Khadi with clothing that is comfortable, easy to wear and trendy. Khadi has been an instrument of social change in the pre-independence era and has transformed into a tool of resilience, resurgence and self-reliance in modern times. And from being a humble attire of the great freedom fighters, Khadi has evolved into a symbol of fashion and ultimate luxury. This is for the first time KVIC organized a pan-India designer contest and the overwhelming participation was a manifestation of Khadi’s popularity among the youth.”