An exhibition of khadi clothing blending modernity and tradition has been held in Dhaka. The show was organised to save Bengal's traditional khadi fabric from extinction.

FDCB president Maheen Khan said the aim was to make khadi popular in a new form. Khadi is still not well known to the younger generation, but it has its own beauty and a distinctive style. Bangladeshi designer Shahrukh Amin spoke about how popular khadi could become in this generation's fashion.

Khaddar is made by weaving hand-spun yarn on a loom, and that is its big difference from other common handloom fabrics. Amid today's flood of fabrics made from machine-spun yarn, khadi had almost faced extinction. Now fashion designers in various countries feel the time has come to popularise such eco-friendly clothing.

A total of 26 designers from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand took part in the fashion show.

Bhutanese fashion designer Chimmi Choden said she believes khadi has a lot of potential, which lies mainly in the interest fashion-conscious audiences show in it.

Audiences and organisers believe khadi can play a special role in building an eco-friendly and conscious fashion industry.

Source: BBC Bangla. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.