The Indian handcrafted, eco-friendly and sustainable Khadi is going places on the global fashion scene as Patagonia, the world’s leading fashion brand based in the United States, is using the Khadi Denim fabric for making garments.
Patagonia has purchased 30,000 metres of Khadi Denim through Arvind Mills worth Rs.1.08 crore from Gujarat for making apparels. Arvind Mills had in 2017 entered into an agreement with Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to trade Khadi Denim across the world and for that it has been buying the fabric from KVIC-certified institutions in Gujarat.
The marketing collaboration has created extra man hours for the Gujarat Khadi artisans and helped Khadi move from local to global scene. The Patagonia order for Khadi Denim which was placed in October 2020 was executed within a year, creating an additional 1.80 lakh man hours, i.e. 27,720 man days of work for Khadi artisans.
Talking about Khadi becoming fashionable and trendsetting fabric, KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said: “Khadi Denim is the only handcrafted Denim fabric in the world which has gained wide popularity in the country and abroad. Khadi Denim is increasingly being used by leading fashion brands owing to the superior quality, comfort, organic and eco-friendly qualities of the fabric. Khadi Denim is an apt example of ‘Local to Global’ as envisaged by the PM.”
A team from Patagonia had last year visited Udyog Bharti, a Khadi Institution based in Gondal, Rajkot, Gujarat to see the manufacturing process of Khadi Denim. Impressed by the manufacturing process and quality Patagonia placed the orders for different quantities.
Patagonia also got the denim production process at Gondal assessed by NEST, a US-based global third-party assessor. The spinning and weaving operations were then given the NEST Seal of Ethical Handcraft, making a Khadi institution for the first time to be assessed and certified by an international independent assessor.
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