Khadi against the crab

For Anjali Varma, her recently concluded exhibition — Khadi Tale — was a bold step towards a great cause. It was a fund-raising event to support paediatric cancer patients. Anjali, a native of Thrissur and mother of two, is happy about the success of the exhibition held at Shobha City Club House in Thrissur on May 13 and 14. The event was inaugurated by T.S. Kalyanaraman, chairman of Kalyan Jewellers.

“As a designer, I always wanted to do something for society and eventually zeroed in on paediatric cancer. I love children and I am a mother. The biggest pain for a mother is to see her child suffering. That is one reason for choosing this cause. Through this, we are helping the parents too,” says Anjali.

It is not by chance that Anjali picked the Khadi fabric for the exhibition.  “Change in lifestyle is one major reason behind the shooting cancer rate in our society. Going back to nature is the remedy. The event was to support cancer patients and we wanted everything on the venue, including the fabric, décor and accessories to be eco-friendly. Hence, Khadi, the natural fabric. It is the best fabric for our climate condition,” says Anjali, who created some designs exclusively for Khadi Tale.

Anjali usually does rich party wear designs. However, for Khadi Tale, she took an Indo-western concept. It was an attempt to give a twist to the cloth. “It was a risk but got acceptance among the crowd,” says Anjali.

The proceeds from the exhibition would go for the treatment of paediatric cancer patients. “The amount will be going directly to the award-winning NGO Solace, which is run by Sheeba Ameer. From there, it will go to those who need help.”

She is happy about the positive feedback for her venture and is determined to continue the effort. She has plans to conduct another exhibition in Kochi.