Transformation of Gandhi’s Khadi : From a National Symbol to an Icon of Sustainable Product

Session IV : Textile Design in Global Context

This study explores the new transformation stages of a fabric called khadi by analyzing its function and acceptance in contemporary society and how it attempts to bring social change. Khadi, a type of cloth once considered an ordinary commodity, later transformed into a political symbol in India and is now recognized as an eco-conscious, sustainable fashion product. Traditionally produced in South Asian countries, khadi is a handspun and handwoven fabric. In India, handspinning had disappeared by the early 19th century as the result of the Industrial Revolution and colonialism. However, it underwent a revival in the 1910s, in which Mohandas Gandhi played a critical role. Gandhi believed that this fabric represented his ideals and could aid in India’s struggle for independence, so much so that khadi ended up becoming a symbol in itself. Gandhi saw not only the practical use of khadi as an ordinary object but also its power to transform the country. The khadi movement may not have succeeded as Gandhi had hoped, but khadi has gained status as a morally desirable product—that is, a sustainable option for the fashion and textile industries. To explain how khadi transformed from a mere everyday fabric to a national symbol and a sustainable product within a century, one must examine Gandhi’s philosophy, specifically its core ideas of “truth” and “nonviolence.” These concepts are strongly associated with the production, consumption, and use of khadi and relate to its unique qualities. After the independence movement, khadi assumed two forms: 1) as a fabric that is believed to transform the country and strongly connected to India’s politics and 2) as a fabric that continues Gandhism and brings about change in society as a sustainable product. By examining the domestic and international examples of khadi, this paper intends to capture how this fabric underwent a critical change.