A SHORT History of Khadi Fabric
Khadi is a material that many people in the West may not have heard of, but in India it is one of the most prominent and widely used materials in clothing.Â
Khadi fabric has been around in some form since ancient Vedic times (5000BC), but has been particularly fashionable in India since 1990. It first came to real prominence during the Swadeshi Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi as a native dress material, after falling into obscurity during Colonial times.Â
Gandhi brought the importance of hand woven material back into the limelight, thus creating more rural and self sustaining work for those with less access to the city. Known for its durability, it is a diverse material that can be worn in both summer and winter. Due to Khadi’s ability to be woven with any natural fibre means the fabric can be produced across India, where different crops depend on a particular climate.  . Â
How is Khadi Fabric made?
The fibres are hand spun on a manual machine called a ‘charka’ and this method means the fibres are much softer and natural, again giving the crucial feel
and texture to the Khadi material.Â
Hand weaving the fabric by combing the lengths, the warp, and widths, the weft,
of the material is also carried out manually without using any electrical equipment to
keep the process affordable, traditional and accessible.
