Not a red herring: Marxists come up with a khadi fashion show

But since it’s the season of austerity,care has been taken to keep the show’s venue at Banglar Tanter Haat,the khadi stall of the West Bengal government at the permanent fair ground in Milan Mela near Eastern Metropolitan Bypass,instead of a glitzy hotel.

The state government has even consulted eminent fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and taken his views.

In November 2006,the Rajasthan government had organised a similar show to promote khadi in which the then chief minister Vasundhara Raje created ripples when she walked the ramp with celebrated models like Nayanika Chatterjee and Julfi Sayeed.

“Of course,we have no Vasundhara Raje,but even if we had one,I doubt we would have used her because in that case she would have stolen the show and the dress would have become irrelevant,” Manab Mukherjee,Minister for Small Industries,said.

While popular Tollywood actor Prasenjit Chatterjee will be present as chief guest,another popular Bengali actor Locket Chatterjee will be the show-stopper. In all,ten models — six of them females and four males — will walk the ramp displaying a whole array of khadi and handloom dresses of various government-run khadi organisations like Manjusha,Tantuja,Posak,to name a few.

“Khadi has the flavour of the soil… so we have organised the show at the haat instead of a hotel. This is the first time we are doing this in our state and I believe it will help the industry,” Md Salim,the chairman of the West Bengal Khadi Board,said.

The dresses have been designed by fashion designer Lima Deb,who has begun to earn spurs. Fashion designers of Kolkata have welcomed the idea. “It is a revolutionary decision of the West Bengal government to use the ramp to promote a product. I have seen products and Tantuja and Manjusha and some of them are so frustrating. There is enough scope for their improvement,” Sarbari Dutta,fashion designer for males,who designed the wedding dress of actor Abhishek Bachchan,said.