Historically known as the symbol of economic and political freedom at
the heart of Mahatma Gandhi's struggle for Indian independence, the
hand-woven and hand-spun khadi cloth has been reinvented as a global
luxury textile in contemporary Indian high fashion. This is the first
book to address the thriving fashion industry that surrounds khadi in
India, alongside the legacy of Gandhian thought in the postcolonial era,
exploring how the textile has evolved from national cloth to high
fashion fabric.
Based on extensive ethnographic research, including interviews with
designers, consumers and NGO advocates, Jay questions the relationship
between the material and the social that continues to frame the
production and consumption of khadi. How does khadi's symbolism as a
'moral' cloth change against a backdrop of conspicuous consumption and
display? What happens to its potential to address issues of inequality
and nationhood as it moves into the realms of ready-to-wear couture and
heritage luxury? Caught between its historical symbolism and emergence
in luxury fashion, khadi crystallizes broader questions about the role
of non-western fashion in modernity, artisanal craft, ethical and
sustainable fashion, and social relationships mediated through the
materiality of cloth.
Weaving together the complete history of khadi for the first time,
Indian Khadi Cloth will appeal to students and scholars of textiles,
fashion, anthropology and luxury.
