Celebrating khadi

This Republic Day let’s do justice to our most misunderstood national fabric — khadi.

When we think of this handspun or hand-woven cloth, mostly made of hemp, the images that automatically come to our minds are either that of Mahatma Gandhi at the spinning wheel or politicians in their stiff, white kurtas. But this is not what khadi is all about.

Khadi also means a soft, silky fabric that caresses our skin, in its finest form it falls better than French chiffon, doesn’t crush, displays colours and designs like no other material and is the epitome of Indian chic and elegance.

Already adored by women who understand and love fashion, some khadi saris come with a waiting list that rivals the famous Hermes Birkin bag (a two-three year waiting list).

Designer Gaurang Shah’s khadi collection, which uses the Jamdani technique of weaving, is so sought- after that women who are willing to pay up to '3 lakh per sari and patiently wait for years to get their hands on one.

Asked about the hefty price tag, Gaurang says, “Each sari, depending on the design, takes anything from 15 days to one-and-a-half years to make. I have three customers waiting for my latest creation, which is a new take on an old Paithani design. The sari comes with a small border and has polka dots all over. It takes 10 months to weave one such sari, so the third person on the list will get it only after two years.”

Though Gaurang says this is a niche market, he has 150 khadi looms and 90 weavers focusing only on expensive khadi saris. “Ten years ago, if I suggested a khadi sari to a young customer, she would tell me, ‘Gaurang, I am not that old to wear khadi!’ But now even 25-year-olds buy these saris from me.”

Gaurang won international fans when he showcased his khadi collection at the Lavera Eco Fashion Show in Berlin. He displayed khadi with a new twist; it was made lighter using an 80-100 thread count. Using Jamdani weaves, he made the dull khadi look brighter with smart colour tones and varying textures blending with natural dyes.

Gaurang says these saris are worth saving up for because they are what priceless heirlooms are about. They will never go out of fashion and will only get more expensive with time.

Another fan of the fabric is one of India’s most celebrated designers, Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Sabya is a prolific user of khadi in his collections. It’s thinner fabrics in summer and thicker in winters. In fact, for this bridal season, he is doing a lot of high-waisted lehengas in quilted khadi. Unlike some designers who stay away from khadi’s raw and coarse side, Sabya celebrates the fabric in its every form. “Khadi is very important to me. It’s the soul and DNA of my brand,” he says.

In fact khadi should be the soul of every stylish Indian because apart from looking good in comfortable, breathable, natural fabrics, one is also supporting one of the many weaving communities in India that are dying out.

Explaining the beauty of khadi, Sabya says, “It is a beautiful fabric, is handspun, hand-woven and has a little texture to the weave so creates a great base for embroidery and printing.” He adds, “The fabric has breathability so it’s great for Indian weather and skins.”

Talking about the kind of khadi he uses in his collections, Sabya says, “I use all kinds of khadi, sometimes 100 counts, 200 or even 400 counts. The 400 count is the most expensive khadi that you can get and is as soft as French chiffon.”

This Republic Day, Sabya wants to tell people that khadi is not a poor man’s fabric. It’s a misconception as it has not been researched properly. Actually, it is much more sophisticated than linen, which is ahead only because of good marketing.

Sabyasachi’s bridal lehengas may not have waiting lists, but brides do have to order months in advance for these expensive ensembles.

Textile designer Ghanshyam Sarode’s store in Hyderabad has a great collection of khadi saris. He is a huge hit as he sells them at wholesale prices. However, that doesn’t make his saris affordable for everyone as the really nice ones cost up to a lakh of rupees. Explaining the cost, he says, “It all depends on on the intricacy and accuracy of the weave.”

According to Sarode these saris are like pieces of art and enjoy the patronage of many high-profile ladies in the country. Congress president Sonia Gandhi is a huge fan of his saris and buys more from his affordable range for daily wear.

A beautiful khadi sari can be on your wishlist for the near future, but if you want to wear your patriotism on Republic Day, check out designer Deepika Govind’s Khadi Kool collection that is priced between Rs 7,000 and Rs 14,000. Talking about the collection, Deepika says, “I have decided to work with khadi along with its flaws which make it stiff and coarse. The collection is very Japanese and austere in its look. I have made short dresses, tunics, collared kurtas and simple straight tunics...”

So whether it’s a casual dress, kurta or an elegant sari that you pull out to wear on January 26, just make sure it’s khadi.