Artisans Speak at Old Currency Building, Kolkata

The Fashion Design Council of India returned to the City of Joy with a glorious, craft-rich exposition by local designer Anamika Khanna, held under the aegis of the Ministry of Textiles, on Monday, January 7, 2019. A celebration of Indian craft and textile, Anamika’s collection of 42 outfits, in a colour palette that included ivory, indigo, black, silver and gold, used indigenous materials like jute and khadi along with silk chanderi and muslin. For the first time, jute was used for embellishments and to create an entire garment.

The event was held in the beautifully-restored, 185-year-old Currency Building in Dalhousie, and was attended by the Union Textile Minister, Ms Smriti Z Irani, the Textile Secretary, Mr Raghvendra Singh, and other dignitaries. It was part of the Textile Ministry’s ‘Artisan Speak’ outreach initiative to pay tribute to India’s glorious legacy of handlooms and the people behind them.

Monday’s exposition followed the stunning fashion show organized by the FDCI at Delhi’s historic Red Fort on Saturday, January 5, 2019. That show was held in the surreal setting of the Sawan Pavilion and Zafar Mahal, and was the first of its kind.

The Kolkata exposition was part of a four-day Textile Ministry event promoting Indian handloom, handicraft, silk and jute. Speaking about the show, FDCI President Sunil Sethi said, “We’re delighted to be working once again with the Textile Ministry, on an exposition that showcases indigenous materials like jute and silk, and that too at a beautiful location like the Old Currency Building.”