While addressing students recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged them to promote khadi as a “fashion statement” in colleges and universities. He said khadi fashion shows could be conducted by students and the work of traditional craftspeople promoted at cultural fests in colleges.
However, according to stores selling khadi clothes, the youngsters in Bengaluru are a long way from adopting khadi as their style, mainly due to a lack of awareness about the fabric as well as a lack of varied designs in the catalogue.
“We do not really get any customers in the age group of 20-25 years as they have no idea what khadi is. They only come in if their parents come to buy something. We rarely see students during Independence Day or Republic Day. People who are above 30 years of age come to buy our towels, kerchiefs, and kurtas,” said Vijay, from Khadi India at Sahakar Nagar.
More expensive
Another reason why khadi is not popular amongst youngsters is because it falls in the slightly expensive range. “Khadi clothes do carry a certain amount of elegance in them, but not everybody can afford them. On many online platforms, you can find cotton clothes for almost 50% cheaper prices. I only have three pieces of khadi in my collection, and one among them was a gift from my parents,” said Nishika S., a 25-year-old working professional from South Bengaluru.
Mr. Vijay added that it is difficult for khadi to draw young customers as it carries the tag of being an “old brand.” A salesperson from Khadi Bhandar, in Vidyaranyapura, also said that while the customer base was a mix of young and old, most only asked for short kurtas and long kurtas.
Varieties of Bihar cotton khadi displayed during the 2018 Khadi Mela at Freedom Park. | Photo Credit: file photo
To shed ‘old brand’ tag
To shed this tag, Karnataka State Khadi and Village Industries Board initiated a training programme with the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Bengaluru, where over 400 weavers and tailors participated across a span of two-and-a-half years. “If we give them more designs, youngsters will surely buy more Khadi products. In this regard, we had organised a Khadi branding programme with NIFT recently,” said H. R. Rajappa, CEO of the Khadi Board.
“The weavers and tailors who came were trained on sophisticated machines and were taught newer techniques especially when it comes to finishing as people often complain that finishing on khadi clothes is not good. With the help of students and faculty members at NIFT, we could design an entirely new collection,” said Yathindra Lakkanna, professor and director, NIFT Bengaluru.
Fashion show and sale
Under the name of Khadi Mahotsav, a fashion show including the new collection will be showcased, Mr. Lakkanna informed. He also said that between October 2 and October 31, along with the show, an exhibition-cum-sale (organised by Khadi and Village Industries Commission) will also be held at HSR Layout.
To familiarise students will khadi, the audience for the fashion show would be students, including those studying in classes 10-12, Mr. Lakkanna said. He also said that various essay and debate competitions have been organised for students about khadi.
“People’s expectations from clothes have changed. They want the best in designs, which will also provide them with confidence. They also want clothes that will reduce the carbon footprint on the planet. That is why we have brought aesthetic improvements to khadi. So far, khadi has been looked at through a philanthropic view. We are trying to show that it has its own strength and that customers would have to associate themselves with the strengths,” Mr. Lakkanna said.
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