Samhita: Collection embracing khadi and rural artisans
A notable feature of the collection is that it is 100 per cent hand-spun and hand-woven.
The newly launched collection.
CHENNAI: Established in 1947, Gandhigram Trust was started with the agenda of developing the rural economy by providing employment opportunities. The Trust is located in Chinnalapatti near Madurai.
Initially, Gandhigram built a hospital to help the rural people, however, decided to expand to various fields as well. That’s how a weaving unit was set up by the Trust in the 70s, as there were many weavers in and around the place.
“This is the first time we are coming up with a khadi collection. The main focus is to help the rural folks and also do our part in saving the environment as khadi is sustainable by nature. Samhita is a brand under the Gandhigram trust, offering a new collection of garments,” says Aditi Jain, textile designer at the Trust. Following the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, khadi production is a key area of the Trust’s functioning.
Sarees, stoles, shawls, shirts, dhotis, and many are a part of their present product range. “For Samhita, we have collaborated with various fashion designers to suit the taste of people living in urban areas. Depending upon the success of this collection, we will continue to initiate more such collections with our weavers and artisans,” Aditi states.
Samhita offers an equal number of options for both men and women with traditional and contemporary designs. The range includes tops, kurtas, dresses, and jumpsuits for women, shirts, and kurtas for men apart from saris, stoles, shawls, towels, and dhotis.
Aditi Jain, textile designer, Gandhigram Trust
A notable feature of the collection is that it is 100 per cent hand-spun and hand-woven. To turn this idea into a reality, the trust worked closely with the Centre of Excellence for Khadi (COEK). Aditi says that the aim was to keep the designs and patterns simple, “We wanted our garments to be a leisure wear,” she adds.
Around 200 to 300 artisans across Tamil Nadu including dyers, spinners, and weavers, among others, worked on this collection. They have used azo-free dyes for Samhita.
Talking about shifting to sustainable fashion, “It is the need of the hour because the textile industry is one of the major contributors to global pollution. However, brands should provide good designs to get people’s attention. We are competing with the fast-fashion trend, but sustainable garments with great designs help customers to move away from the trend. Khadi is ideal for our weather conditions and it can be worn regularly,” remarks Aditi.
The launch of Samhita will take place at The Folly, Amethyst in the city on October 20 and the exhibition will continue till October 21 from 11.00 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
