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If your father was a government employee who didn’t have a uniform, you probably remember him ditching the formal clothes on Fridays and wearing a casual T-shirt and a pair of jeans to the office. However, if reports are to be believed, Friday dressing in government offices could only mean one thing now, wearing Khadi. 
 
The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is thinking to appeal to the government to encourage its 35 lakh employees (not counting railways and defence personnel) to wear clothes made from the hand-spun fabric at least once a week, so that the production can get a boost and weavers across the country can be benefited. 
 
"We are discussing this with the government and we will make an appeal. Employees can wear it to work on just one day," KVIC chairman VK Saxena told TOI. Even though the employees would be given a choice to wear hand-woven fabrics, the basic idea is to increase sales. 
 
"Even if everyone buys one Khadi garment, imagine the rise in sales," said an officer. 
 
On another note, KVIC is contacting companies like Fabindia and Raymond to retail high-end Khadi at some of their outlets. KVIC has also suggesting pushing Khadi for uniform in government schools, defence forces, railways and Air India. 
 
"We are not seeking charity. We are competing on the basis of quality and price," said Saxena pointing to a Rs 40 crore railways tender that KVIC recently received. 
 
<a href="http://www.utsavpedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSC00046.jpg">Image source</a>

Your Friday Office dress-code could soon be only Khadi

Over the years, most governments didn’t find it important to prioritise Khadi. And then suddenly much hullaballoo started when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photos were found to be featured on the yearly calendar. And now Fab India has been threatened with legal steps because the brand was using ‘Khadi’ trademark to market their own products. 
That’s the long story short. But what’s the story inside? 
 
Khadi popularised by Mahatma Gandhi was something more than a clothing fabric. Just not a fight against the British, Khadi stood for independent villages and self reliance. This was largely to ensure that the people don’t get swayed away by the ongoing Westernization. 
 
The striking balance between a movement and a discipline started deteriorating when the Congress leaders failed to understand its value post the 60s. A Polyester Khadi was introduced that heavily violated Gandhi’s ideology, but the leaders of the age failed to understand why they would pay so much for hand spun textile, when the same can be bought at a much lesser price. 
 
Thus began the dilution of the brand. The government struggled for 35 years to formalise its control over khadi Only 4 years back, having a KVIC's 'Khadi Mark' certification has been made mandatory. According to The Economic Times, Fabindia has apparently been trying for a while to get its products properly certified, but KVIC has rejected its requests. This suggests that the usual narrative of a powerful corporation taking advantage of a defenceless Indian product may not quite hold. 
 
 
Fab India has now expanded its portfolio to foods and cosmetics as well. From its original store in New Delhi the retailer has extended across India, even to the smaller towns that many chains ignore. It has built a strong reputation with the tourism industry and has even rehabilitated heritage properties for its stores, as per an ET report. 
 
Having done that, Fab India has brought market-leading designs and standards, has made good economic sense for many companies. And now it has evolved as brand that creates ethnic wears with a Fab India look. 
 
Even companies that don't directly benefit small communities have used the sort of traditional appeal that KVIC can claim - Patanjali being a recent example. And all these companies have achieved success with hardly any of the subsidies and rebates that KVIC claims as its right. At such a juncture, PM Modi who seems to be a big fan of Khadi himself may intervene and allow Khadi to grow, by any means possible.

Fab India actually gave Khadi a
breather by establishing its own brand. Here’s why

Indian designer <keyword id="5378" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="prasad-bidapa" source="Orion">Prasad Bidapa</keyword> wants <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s hand-made khadi and handlooms recognised globally, saying that there are immense opportunities for foreign stylists to work with thousands of weavers across the country. We want to expose Indian textiles to the world and show every designer that they can come to India, work directly with the artisans and create something very original, <keyword id="360951" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bidapa" source="Orion">Bidapa</keyword> told PTI after the show Handlooms@75: Celebrating the Fabric of Freedom here. The designer urged truly conscious designers to work with Indian weavers at the grassroots level and help them create something new and fresh. Something that the world has not seen before. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a wonderful support. He wears so much khadi and handlooms that he has had the spotlight trained on the clothing said the designer after hosting the fashion show in Singapore on Saturday. We have thousands of artisans working on Khadi and handlooms skilled in block print, leheriya dyeing, said Bidapa, adding that there were immense opportunities for foreign designers to work with thousands of weavers in India. "We are trying to sensitise young people all over the world, trying to get them to understand the beauty of the handmade textile, the designer stressed. The designer also called on the Prime Minister's Office to include skills of the hands, weaving, printing and dyeing in the national skilling programme. Bidapa highlighted how Japanese fashion designer <keyword id="1013564" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="issey-miyake" source="Orion">Issey Miyake</keyword> created the label HAAT -- all of which use Indian Khadi. The Saturday exhibition was held at the invitation of the Indian High Commissioner in Singapore, P Kumaran, and sponsored by the Global Indian International School, as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from Karnataka among others. The Bangalore-based Bidapa has hosted the exhibition in the <keyword id="30350" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="middle-east" source="Orion">Middle East</keyword> and will be travelling with his fashion wears as well as 20 models to Japan and South Korea next. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/kisan-samman-nidhi-gets-its-12th-instalment-of-rs-16000-cr-will-reach-10-cr-farmers/articleshow/94915578.cms">Kisan Samman Nidhi gets its 12th instalment of Rs 16,000 cr, will reach 10 cr farmers</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/ahead-of-diwali-delhis-air-quality-dips-to-poor-category/articleshow/94913826.cms">Ahead of Diwali, Delhi's air quality dips to 'poor' category</a>

Immense opportunities for foreign stylists to work with Indian weavers says fashion designer Prasad Bidapa

"Go and stand in the economy class queue. This line is for business class travelers," a well-heeled lady told <keyword id="6365408" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sudha-Murthy">Sudha Murthy</keyword> at the International <keyword id="48490" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Heathrow">Heathrow</keyword> airport in London. The chairman of <keyword id="86463" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="INfosys-Foundation">Infosys Foundation</keyword> was at the airport wearing a salwar kameez, which perhaps made her a misfit in the queue in question. But, what eventually got Sudha's goat was when she was called a "cattle-class person". That was when the otherwise calm 66-year-old wife of industrialist Narayana Murthy decided to give her fellow traveler a piece of her mind. Taking from her personal experiences, Sudha, in her new book 'Three Thousand Stitches', sheds light on some of the prevailing biases in the society. "Class does not mean huge possession of money. <keyword id="6403450" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mother-Teresa">Mother Teresa</keyword> was a classy woman. So is Manjula Bhargava, a great mathematician of Indian origin. "The concept that you automatically gain class by acquiring money is an outdated thought process," she writes in the book. She said she could have shown her boarding pass and cleared all doubts about her "class" in no time, but she waited to find out how, according to the lady, she was not befitting for business class standards. "Soon I realized it was because of my dress!" Ironically, Sudha ran into the same lady later in the day. From her Indo-Western silk outfit paired with an expensive pair of heels, and complemented with a Gucci handbag at the airport, the latter had slipped into a plain khadi saree to suit the theme of a meeting where Sudha was pitching Infosys Foundation to sponsor funds for the overhaul of a government school. Needless to say, the lady was shocked to see Sudha chairing the meeting. "The clothes were a reminder of the stereotype that is still rampant today. Just like one is expected to wear the finest of silks for a wedding, social workers must present themselves in a plain and uninteresting manner," she writes. The philanthropist went on to express grave concern over the existence of an "external force" dictating people to appear in a certain way to be part of the "elite" club. This, she added, led many people into "wrong habits". "In most metro cities, many college going girls become part of high-level prostitution because they want to earn quick money to buy designer clothes. This is because of the pressure created by the external force. "So when I experienced the same myself at the airport I was more upset than angry," she said. Published by <keyword id="1573649" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Penguin-Random-House">Penguin Random House</keyword>, the book consisting of 11 chapters, also talks about the author's experiences while she was working for Infosys Foundation, set up in 1996. (Image courtesy: Indian Express)

When chairman of Infosys Foundation Sudha Murthy was called 'cattle class' at Heathrow airport

India discovered the panache <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> packed quite a while ago, with his khadi Kurtas and Bvalgari glasses, not to forget the quintessential Mont Blanc pen that he carries around, without giving it a miss. 
 Till some time ago, the US went gaga over <keyword id="27526" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Michelle-Obama">Michelle Obama</keyword>’s fashion sense. Now, the time has come for her to make way for the Indian <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword>. For, the US media has been discovering the fashion icon in this man who packed an astounding victory two months ago to occupy the most influential office in India. Prime Minister of India – Narendra Modi comes from a community that deemed not-so-powerful, yet made strong inroads into the power corridors. His fashion sense, impeccable — so much so that one would think he always assumed that he would be a leader some day and undertook the grooming all by himself! 
 
Modi’s fashion sense made waves in New York too, where the experts called him a leader who stands out ‘strategically and literally’ both with his persona and his wardrobe. 
 What does the Indian Prime Minister’s signature style look like? It’s majorly undertones, Indian-yet-formal and Modi chooses to go formal in western sense, rarely. His traditional trade mark cotton Kurta (can sometimes be <keyword id="48523" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Silk">silk</keyword> too), usually paired with a vest in neutral tone. 
In more ways than one, this asserts his nationality, thus laying stress on the need to spread Indian-ness even in international politics. 
A nationalist, indeed! Jade Blue used to be the place where he stitched his clothes for long. This company, based out of Modi’s home-state Gujarat was his all-time favourite probably a polite reminder of his roots. 
 
Modi is very particular about the way he arrives to meetings. In a country where a crumpled kurta or a suit is an accepted thing for politicians who jump from one meeting to another, Modi comes across as someone who means business. So much so that his counterparts often took a dig at him saying the leader spent more time changing his attire than at the meetings. However, this wouldn’t have any impact on Modi who stayed put to his real style. 
 Though at the outset Modi portrays a nationalist image and prefers colloquial style of dressing over western outfits, his inclination towards western brands is quite palpable with the accessories he wears. His glasses are said to be <keyword id="1586985" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bvlgari">Bvlgari</keyword>, and his watch – a Movado. Quite a clash of cultures at play here, or is it a peaceful combination of both Indian and western values? 
 It is also interesting to note the colour tone preferred by the Prime Minister evolve over the years. Earlier, when he represented his home state as its <keyword id="5269" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chief-Minister">chief minister</keyword>, his colours were usually bright and would stand out loud. But, after he positioned himself as the Prime Ministerial candidate, he started wearing more undertones and was even careful with the choice of fabric that was used to make his Kurtas. 
 
Though Orange has been his most preferred colour, owing to his Hindutva ideology that he and his party swear by, he is rarely seen in that colour in the recent times. And there is one colour he NEVER ever wears. That is Green. 
 
Since he has had to leave behind his love for saffron or orange, Modi now goes for alternative shades of those colours that carry a tinge and aren’t too loud. 
 
On the dias, Modi’s gestures are theatrical and magnanimous. His hands move away from the body, revealing a true leader who gestures to reach out to the masses. While some politicians would like to touch people’s lives by hugging a common man, or pose with a child – Modi has had a trademark difference here too. He prefers to wear the hats that represent the region to relate to the native culture than allow people in close vicinity. 
 
His pictures are quite another topic of debate. There are hardly any pictures that show Modi in an awkward gesture. His images are well-curated and distributed on networks that the leader always (and always) looks like he means business. 
 
In a world that is closely connected and every step is being watched, Modi has managed to keep his image (literally) clean and crisp with his preferences. This has raised the curiosity of west, so much as India already knows his leader!

You Searched For "khadi wear" and got 5 results

Your Friday Office dress-code could soon be only Khadi

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Immense opportunities for foreign stylists to work with Indian weavers says fashion designer Prasad Bidapa

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When chairman of Infosys Foundation Sudha Murthy was called 'cattle class' at Heathrow airport

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