Basava by Kris hosts a sale of khadi garments by Metaphor Racha

The pop-up will also have talk about khadi revivalist Ravi Kiran of Metaphor Racha
Khadi saris from Metaphor Racha
Khadi saris from Metaphor Racha

The clamour for khadi might be growing with each season in the fashion cycle, with Abraham and Thakore, Pero by Aneeth Arora and Rajesh Pratap Singh and others using it in their collections, but Ravi Kiran of Bengaluru-based khadi-label Metaphor Racha, feels that most people are still quite unaware of the fabric. With an intent to educate customers about the handspun and handwoven textile, Ravi will host an interaction and sale of some of his latest creations at Basava by Kris, tomorrow. “It’s only when I sell my clothes at exhibitions that I get to interact with customers. And I’m surprised to learn that a majority of people don’t know what khadi is, or how it’s made,” says Ravi, whose label retails out of his online store.

Stoles from the label
Stoles from the label

Metaphor Racha focuses on Karnataka khadi, woven in pockets of Chitradurga, Shirhatti, Belgaum, Harihara and beyond. It’s the coarseness of the fabric woven in the state that appeals to Ravi, whose collections range from stoles and dupattas to saris, kurtas, tunics and home furn-ishings. Design-wise, Ravi allows the weavers to be the designers as his aim is to be as authentic as possible. “I do give a few tweaks, in terms of colour and size, but I leave it to the weavers to do most of the designing, as they are untouched by trends and fads,” explains Ravi, whose work has him traveling every 45 days.

A khadi sari and blouse from the label
A khadi sari and blouse from the label

At Basava, the pop-up will feature a kora-heavy (unbleached cotton) line-up of dresses, tunics, saris and kurtas, besides handkerchiefs, placemats, coasters, towels and more. A highlight is their range of 100 count khadi muslin saris with floral and geometric prints. “Of late, we’ve also been attempting to make our clothes more user-friendly and versatile. For instance, there’s a thigh-length button-down tunic that can also be worn as a jacket. It allows the customer to play a part in the designing process and the garment to have multiple wears,” he says.

The event will see Ravi talking about ‘Khadi in Contemporary India’, because he believes that the customer is the most important link in the supply chain. “If the customer doesn’t understand what khadi is, then I think we have lost the battle,” he says in conclusion.

Rs.500 upwards. Talk - Saturday, 11 am. Pop-up - February 23 - 28. At Kanakapura Road
 

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