Khadi and Village Industries Commission awards fashion designers at pan-India contest

While Kaushal used plain weave khadi and blue khadi denim, Singh used khadi cotton fabric using zero waste design technique and contrast stitch line details.Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chairman KVIC, said the creations of the contestants will soon be made available at Khadi India outlets as designer wear.

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) organised a special fashion show here to introduce new designs interventions in Khadi.

The show on Tuesday was curated by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and led by ace designer and KVIC Advisor Sunil Sethi.

According to a statement by the organisers, the fashion show showcased 60 designs by 10 budding fashion designers, who were selected through an all-India khadi designers competition organized by the KVIC to introduce ''new design interventions and add a trendy twist to khadi.'' Designer Swatti Kapoor received the first prize with a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for her creations. The collection was inspired by the 19th Century poem titled "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Designer Dhruv Singh was declared the second runner up with a cash reward of Rs five lakh for his collection, 'Anaarbagh', which gave the fabric, known for its simplicity, a festive look.

The third prize was bagged by two designers, Kaushal Singh and Gaurav Singh. The duo won Rs two lakh each. While Kaushal used plain weave khadi and blue khadi denim, Singh used khadi cotton fabric using zero waste design technique and contrast stitch line details.

Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chairman KVIC, said the creations of the contestants will soon be made available at Khadi India outlets as designer wear. ''Khadi has been an instrument of social change in the pre-independence era and has transformed into a tool of resilience, resurgence and self-reliance in modern times. And from being a humble attire of the great freedom fighters, Khadi has evolved into a symbol of fashion and ultimate luxury. ''This is for the first time KVIC organised a pan-India designer contest and the overwhelming participation was in itself a manifestation of Khadi's popularity among the youth,'' Saxena said.

The KVIC had received 393 nominations from young fashion designers from across the country. A screening committee comprising fashion designers, experts from design institutes and top functionaries of KVIC was constituted to shortlist 10 best designers. The top three designers were selected during the show by the jury.

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