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Khadi’s Journey From Freedom Symbol to Contemporary Fashion

Khadi’s Journey From Freedom Symbol to Contemporary Fashion
A curation of Khadi in contemporary fashion · livemint.com

Khadi is a handmade fabric with an important history in India.

During the freedom movement, it helped people show support for self-reliance.

Mahatma Gandhi called it the “livery of freedom.”

Wearing khadi also meant rejecting imported cloth.

It supported people who made cloth locally.

After India became independent, khadi was often linked to simple and austere clothing.

It became associated with politicians, activists, and government shops.

For many years, khadi seemed more connected to history than to modern fashion.

Key facts

Material
Khadi
Historical role
A symbol of self-reliance during India’s freedom movement
Gandhi’s description
The “livery of freedom”
Political meaning
Wearing khadi rejected imported cloth
Economic meaning
It supported local production
Post-Independence association
Austerity, politicians’ kurtas, activists’ saris, and government emporiums

Sources

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