Japanese designer Issey Miyake brings India’s fabric of freedom to New York

Mahatma Gandhi led many movements leading to India’s freedom from the British rule, little would he have known that he will inspire a fashion movement too in 2019. Japanese avant-garde designer Issey Miyake in his latest New York exhibition ‘Khadi: Indian Craftsmanship’, has brought India’s ‘freedom fabric’ to the fashion centerstage.

Khadi and India’s freedom movement

Khadi, a handspun cotton fabric crafted on a spinning wheel called a charkha. How did Gandhi use it to help India gain freedom?

The Mahatma’s khadi movement revolved around the use of khadi fabrics and the dumping of foreign-made clothes.

Gandhi believed khadi could help India gain economic independence from British rule, a system which saw Manchester clothing imports wipe out the Indian cotton industry. He exhorted Swadeshi (of one’s own country) and encouraged Indians to spin, weave and wear khadi and burn their foreign imported clothes on public bonfires. Thus making khadi an integral part and an icon of the country’s freedom struggle.

The fabric is the inspiration behind Miyake’s latest collection.

‘Khadi: Indian Craftsmanship’

According to an article on cnbctv18.com: "Makiko Minagawa, who was earlier the textile director of the Miyake Design Studio, had worked with Martand Singh, known as Mapu, and Asha Sarabhai in creating a natural and simple line called ASHA. Minagawam is now the creative director of HaaT, a line produced by Issey Miyake. She was greatly influenced by Martand Singh and is the spirit behind the Khadi exhibit which is a tribute to his work."

The collection has been displayed since August 2 at the Tribeca store in New York City. Tomorrow, August 22 is the final day of the display. 

The exhibit features exclusive clothes and accessories made of khadi with elaborate prints from the archives.