Designer Swati Kapoor received the first prize with a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh for portraying Khadi as one of the most ethical and sustainable fabrics. The collection was inspired by Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 19th century poem “Kubla Khan”. He used fine khadi muslin fabric in plain and self check with block printing, hand crochet and hand embroidery and other types of fabric manipulation.
Designer Dhruv Singh won the second prize with a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. His collection named Anarbagh is inspired by Krishna’s dance on the full moon night with his devotees/lovers in the month of Kartik. The idea was to give Khadi a bit of a festive look by creating an ensemble that gives the body the feel of the garment with comfort and ease. She used plain khadi cotton fabric and all the outfits are completely hand embroidered by artisans from Bengal and Gujarat, using 6 strings of pure zari twisted by hand.
Two designers, Kaushal Singh and Gaurav Singh won the third prize of Rs 2 lakh each. Kaushal used plain weave khadi and blue khadi denim. The print artwork was created by fine artists, translated into screen and further printed on fabric. Designer Gaurav also used khadi cotton fabric using zero waste design technique and contrast stitch line detailing.
The All India Khadi Designers Competition was organized to introduce new design interventions and add a trendy twist to Khadi. KVIC received 393 nominations from young fashion designers across the country. A screening committee consisting of fashion designers, experts from design institutes and top officials of KVIC was constituted to shortlist the 10 best designers. The top 3 designers were selected during the show by the jury.
KVIC Chairman, Shri Vinay Kumar Saxena said that the creations of these contestants will soon be made available as designer wear at Khadi India outlets. The idea is to attract the younger generation to 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, revival and self-reliance in modern times. And from the humble dress of the great freedom fighters, Khadi evolved into a symbol of fashion and ultimate luxury. This is the first time that KVIC organized the All India Designer Competition and the huge participation was itself an expression of the popularity of Khadi among the youth,” said Saxena.
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