Khadi Beyond Borders

Khadi Beyond Borders brought together some of India’s most celebrated designers in a showcase that successfully presented Khadi in contemporary forms for a global fashion audience.

The show was headlined by a solo presentation from Rajesh Pratap Singh, one of India’s most influential designers, known for redefining contemporary fashion through precision tailoring, understated elegance and an exceptional eye for detail. His collection highlighted the raw beauty of Khadi while blending it with classic silhouettes and modern design sensibilities.

Singh’s presentation was followed by a collaborative showcase featuring Shruti Sancheti, Samant Chauhan and Pawan Sachdeva, each offering a distinctive interpretation of Khadi.

Samant Chauhan brought his expertise in heritage-rooted silhouettes, while Nagpur-based Shruti Sancheti showcased her signature philosophy of understated luxury, giving traditional Khadi a contemporary and refined edge. Delhi-based menswear designer Pawan Sachdeva completed the trio with his experimental, street-influenced menswear, proving that Khadi could be modern, edgy and undeniably “cool”.

At the heart of the showcase was Khadi itself , a fabric deeply rooted in India’s artisanal traditions, celebrated for being handspun and meticulously hand-woven. The participating designers elevated this traditional textile through their individual creative languages, telling new stories while retaining its cultural and artisanal identity.

A significant highlight of the collaboration was also announced by NZFW Chairman Feroz Ali, who revealed that four Kiwi designers would travel to India to showcase their work at Lakmé Fashion Week as part of the ongoing India–New Zealand fashion partnership. The initiative is expected to create greater opportunities for designers from both countries to connect with international audiences and exchange creative ideas.

Overall, Khadi Beyond Borders demonstrated how a fabric with such deep historical roots could successfully move beyond tradition and find a place in contemporary global fashion.

The showcase was part of the ongoing collaboration between the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and New Zealand Fashion Week (NZFW), formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at creating a global platform for emerging and established designers from India and New Zealand. The collaboration marked another step towards strengthening fashion and creative ties between the two countries.