Khadi fashion show in Abu Dhabi to mark India's 70th Republic Day

Abu Dhabi - The fashion show will also commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The 70th Republic Day of India will be celebrated at Etihad Jumeirah Hotel, Abu Dhabi on January 26, 2019. At the event, the Embassy of India in collaboration with Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Apparel Group and Indian Business & Professional Group (IBPG), Abu Dhabi will organize a khadi fashion show.
Khadi, a sustainable natural hand-spun fabric with zero carbon footprint, is becoming globally popular for being an eco-friendly and breathable textile.
Two eminent fashion designers - Sunaina Suneja from India and Feryal Al Bastaki from UAE will showcase their collections highlighting the opulent legacy of Indian textiles and Emirati designs.
Ambassador Navdeep Suri said that in view of increasing demand for khadi in UAE, Embassy will facilitate meetings of KVIC which has been mandated by the Government of India to promote khadi and its products, with textile groups in UAE to fill in the gaps in retail sector. He said that khadi fashion show was being held to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi as he popularized khadi as a symbol of self-reliance and to promote the indigenous textile industry.
He added that with khadi having a unique quality of being warm in winters and cool in summers, it is India's gift to the world as a hand-woven luxury.
Chairman of KVIC, VK Saxena said that KVIC was happy to be part of khadi promotion in UAE, with which India enjoys deep cultural and civilizational links. He appreciated the idea of an Indian and an Emirati designer coming together to promote khadi and showcasing beauty of both the cultures.
Nilesh Ved, Chairman, Apparel Group has said that he was proud to use the nation's fabric and take it to a center stage and contribute to Khadi's revival in UAE. He said that khadi was increasingly breaking free from its humble status to become part and parcel of fashion circuits in offices and daily lives and that it had huge scope in the UAE market, all the more when presented by creative artists like Sunaina Suneja and Feryal Al Bastaki.
Padmnabha Acharya, President Indian Business & Professional Group, Abu Dhabi said that IBPG was honored to promote khadi and to partner with the Embassy of India. He said that IBPG will be happy to organize more such events with the Embassy in future.
The event is expected to be attended by senior dignitaries from UAE, members of the diplomatic corp, media, Indian community and several prominent textile groups based in UAE.

• Abu Dhabi
• India