Who Gets to Put a Luxury Tag on Khadi—and Who Gets Left Behind

While government initiatives have steadily positioned Khadi as a fashionable fabric, what does it take for the textile–and the many artisans working with it–to truly catapult into the limelight and be commercially viable too? 

India has been on Vivienne Westwood’s mind for some time. Last year, the British luxury fashion house staged its ‘Sun 24’ eyewear campaign in Mumbai, tapping local talent led by creative director Kshitij Kankaria. In 2025, the brand’s ambition is far greater.

Last evening, Vivienne Westwood returned to the city with a fashion show at the Gateway of India. Partnering with the Department of Textiles, Govt. of Maharashtra, and the Pune-based Vivz Fashion School Pvt. Ltd, the brand presented a selection of its Spring/Summer 2025 ensembles and archival designs. What largely commanded the spotlight, however, was a couture capsule crafted using Indian handwoven textiles and Khadi in particular. 

Once a symbol of resistance against colonial British rule, Khadi now finds itself in the hands of a British punk legacy brand. The irony isn’t lost on anyone.

Do Indian handlooms need international labels for greater visibility? 

“Carlo D’Amario [CEO of the brand], was clear from the start—if Vivienne Westwood were to do a show in India, Khadi had to be a central element,” says Vivek Pawar, Founder and Director, Vivz Fashion School, adding that the textile “perfectly aligns with the brand’s commitment to sustainability.” Approximately 15-20 ensembles incorporated Khadi, along with handwoven wools and silks such as Chanderi, muslin, raw silk, Muga, and Pashmina. The textiles have been sourced from registered KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission) centres—including Khadi India and Aaranya Gwalior. Behind-the-scenes photographs show gowns, dresses, and separates crafted from raw Khadi, and handlooms in shades ranging from ivory and sky blue to purple, stone, and black.

Despite its intent to honour Indian textile traditions through a lens of contemporary couture, the collection received mixed reactions. Several designs failed to resonate with the audience—both at the venue and on social media—prompting a broader conversation around the balance between innovation and cultural authenticity. The tension lies not in the use of indigenous materials, but in how they are reinterpreted—especially when viewed through a Western lens. Surely, a leg-of-mutton sleeved gown isn’t the cutting-edge innovation Indian handlooms need.

India remains a key supplier for the global fashion and textile industries, it is usually embroidery and embellishment skills that command the attention of the luxury segment. Indian handlooms are rarely seen taking centre stage in the line-up of international luxury brands. In 2023, French luxury house Dior hosted its first womenswear show in India—also at the Gateway of India—celebrating the brand’s longstanding collaboration with Indian embroidery atelier Chanakya International and the Chanakya School of Embroidery. With a star-studded front row and the brand’s artistry, the show paid tribute to the monumental role Indian embroidery ateliers play in global luxury. So, did Vivienne Westwood do the same for Khadi? 

Can Khadi, a heritage textile, win over a new generation of Indians? 

“When a show like this [Vivienne Westwood] happens, people in India also start looking at it from a fresh perspective,” says Prof. (Dr.) Sudha Dhingra, a senior faculty member of the Textile Design department at National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and Director of the Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK), a platform set up by KVIC and NIFT for innovations in Khadi. “Consumer awareness is most important when it comes to working in a niche area or with indigenous knowledge,” she says. “Social media has such an influence today that many think that what fast fashion brands are doing is more sustainable than something like Khadi, which we have been doing for ages.”

Few textiles are woven with symbolism as deeply as Khadi, the “fabric of freedom”. Its association with India’s struggle for Independence—as a Swadeshi textile championed by Mahatma Gandhi—remains central to how the fabric is perceived today.

Its popular associations with “jholawalas” and rural economies obscure the fact that Khadi also has superior varieties with high thread counts and luxe finishing. Vivienne Westwood isn't the first to discover this. Ramesh Menon, founder of the non-profit Save the Loom, notes that Indian labels have played a major role in showcasing contemporary handlooms. “Designers such as Maku, 11.11/eleven.eleven, or Soumitra Mondal find a fabulous market abroad. It’s for two reasons: one, the textile itself, and two, the design sensibilities that today’s Indian designers are able to cater to.”

The KVIC has steadily positioned Khadi as a fashionable fabric in recent years, propelled by a decade-long initiative by the Indian government to popularise the textile across multiple market segments. Government statistics point to success, with production of Khadi fabric reaching ₹3,206 crores in the financial year 2023-24—a 295.28 per cent rise over a decade. Compared to sales worth ₹1,081.04 crores in the financial year 2013-14, Khadi textiles generated ₹6,496 crores in 2023-24 with an increase of 500.90 per cent. KVIC also collaborates with Indian designers and stages shows at venues like the Rann of Kutch (January 2023) or multiple seasons of the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) in association with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). E

The latest edition of the LFW featured designs by Nikasha Tawadey, Karishma Shahani Khan of Ka-Sha, Niki Mahajan, and the CoEK, all designing the textile into contemporary silhouettes and styles. “I wanted to let Khadi breathe, drape, and evolve beyond its conventional form in a way that feels personal and relevant today,” says Tawadey, who has tailored Khadi into dhoti sarees, capes, bralette tops, and draped skirts. In positing Khadi as a fabric for the modern-day wearer, she points to its legacy, its versatility, low-carbon footprint, and longevity.

Internationally, Khadi has long captivated the intrigue of designers. In 2019, Issey Miyake’s design house hosted an exhibition in New York titled ‘Khadi: Indian Craftsmanship,’ spotlighting the fabric’s cultural significance and tactile beauty. Pierre Cardin, a pioneer in integrating global textiles into international fashion, visited India in 1967 at the invitation of the Handloom and Handicrafts Export Corporation of India, and publicly expressed his admiration for Khadi. Despite such interest, the fabric’s presence in mainstream international fashion remains limited.

Newer initiatives are working toward changing that—whether it is by bringing brands to India to work with Khadi or taking it to global platforms. Before its Lakmé Fashion Week showcase, CoEK presented a collection at the Moscow Fashion Week (13-18 March 2025), featuring colourful, layered dresses, separates, and accessories. “We wanted to inspire the young, global audience to see Khadi not just as a fabric of the past but as a forward-thinking, versatile material with endless potential,” says Nargis Zaidi, Head of Apparels, CoEK. “There were numerous inquiries and a great deal of curiosity about the fabric, particularly regarding its craftsmanship and production process.”

The world has, in fact, historically sourced its textiles from India. "Until the turn of the [twentieth] century and the Industrial Revolution, it is what the whole world was looking for," says Menon. "No country has such diverse techniques of weaving." He further observes that stories of Indian textiles—especially in contemporary retelling—have been relegated to the background in the last 70-80 years. Global brands using Indian handwoven textiles doesn't amount to a revival, but it showcases Indian artisanal heritage from the right perspective.

Is visibility enough for India’s artisans? 

Fashion shows make news. But for artisans to benefit in the long run, the buzz must translate into business. Khadi and handloom’s slow processes and small-batch production struggle to catch up with not only fashion’s seasonal cycles, but also its volume. Moreover, these qualities may not necessarily serve as USPs in real time. “Many customers don’t care if the textiles are handspun and handwoven—most may not even understand what it means. When looking to buy [garments], they are thinking about things other than the environment or the supply chain ecosystem,” says Peter D’Ascoli, a Delhi-based American designer. “It can help a brand to be associated with those factors, but it has to be done as a matter of desire, to impact sustainability in a marketplace where it may not be specifically recognised or commercially beneficial.”

Khadi may not be produced at scale, but that’s exactly what makes it special. Its handmade, small-batch nature means it is rare, and that rarity is part of its charm. 

Among Indian designers using handloom to their advantage, the range goes from couturiers such as Sabyasachi or the late Rohit Bal to ready-to-wear labels such as Abraham & Thakore, péro, Injiri, Maku, and 11.11/eleven.eleven. “As a designer working with handlooms in India, I feel a responsibility to engage with textiles in a way that respects their origins,” says Chinar Farooqui, founder of Injiri. “It is important to recognise that these crafts are not static; they evolve, they adapt, and they continue to be relevant in contemporary life,” adds Farooqui. Small, independent international labels have also used Khadi to their advantage: the Paris-based Khadi and Co. founded by Bess Nielsen, Japanese label Calico helmed by Fumie Kobayashi, or London-based store, egg. Anchoring these brands is a respect for craft’s slow pace and attuning design to handmade practices.

Sustaining handloom ultimately takes more than just runway appearances—it demands consistent, long-term engagement. “Fashion shows offer visibility, but what matters is what comes after. The rural systems, the hands engaged in the making, the ground itself in which cotton grows—these need to be strengthened and streamlined,” says Menon. It is no small measure in a country whose crafts sector comprises millions of artisans, and remains a largely unorganised industry.

But even the spectacle of a show can leave a mark, especially when artisans are not just referenced, but present. Artisans can be reluctant to work on design innovations, especially if they don’t understand the economic implications of such steps. 

At the recently concluded edition of the Lakmé Fashion Week, the KVIC invited Khadi institutions from Gujarat and Maharashtra to watch the show, with around 40 artisans in attendance. According to Prof. Dhingra, many of the artisans came up to them at the end, asking if they could work together. “Bringing craftspeople to such fashion shows can make a real difference,” she says. “When they watch a show where people applaud the designs and want to buy them, they realise the potential. They feel more confident about creating something new.”

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