Last year in August, barely after a week of joining as the Textile Minister, her #IWearHandloom took the social media by storm.

On Tuesday morning, Minister of Textiles, Smriti Irani created a wave of sorts, not a remotely controversial one, of course. The TV star-turned-politician got the Twitterati engaged in a game of posting pictures — one where they are wearing cotton clothes and asked them to tag their friends to continue the chain. She began it all by tweeting “I celebrate Indian summers and cotton industry with my #CottonIsCool look. What is your #CottonIsCool look?!” As a result, within  a matter of few hours not only common people even celebs like Virender Sehwag, Vijender Singh, Amish Tripathi, Kirron Kher and Hema Malini began posting their pictures with the #CottonIsCool.

This is, however, not the first time Irani has done something like this. Last year in August, barely after a week of joining as the Textile Minister, her #IWearHandloom took the social media by storm. But do all these initiatives mean anything on the ground? The industry people answer.

Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani

Among the first few to tweet a picture with #CottonIsCool was Sunil Sethi, the president of the Fashion Design Council Of India (FDCI). Explaining the impact of such initiatives, he says, “When the #IWearHandloom initiative clicked, there was a revival of handloom and it generated business for the weavers. Cotton is a natural fabric that is used to as a gamcha by the poor farmer or a towel by powerful bureaucrats and so on. It is for the classes and the masses. We are of one the largest cotton producing and cotton wearing countries in the world, and most Indians don’t know that. We must take great pride in such facts. This initiative will make cotton popular. We are not only encouraging handloom but also showcasing power loom and they both need the government’s support.”

Designer Rahul Mishra says that such initiatives help to make people realise the importance of cotton, a fabric which gets used everywhere, from a person’s birth to his last rites. “Cotton is something that we use every day. Looking at the cotton industry at large, cotton contributes a lot to our GDP. The campaign might look symbolic on the face. But in reality, it is more about the realisation and awareness about of the importance of cotton in our daily lives and how cool it actually is,” he says, adding that the campaign also helps make people realise that cotton can also be considered as a luxurious fabric.

Boxer Vijender Singh

Designer Anju Modi seconds Mishra and says that the campaign might help change the mindset of people that cotton can’t be worn in weddings or any grandeur occasions. “The hashtag is helping to make cotton fashionable, which is a mass product. People will now think of it as a fabric that they can wear in shaadis,” she says and adds, “Cotton is a suitable fabric in a country where there are almost 10 months of summer. Promoting the fabric will also help boost its contribution to agriculture (production) as well.”

Rahul says that governments in many other countries start such initiatives but in India it has more prominence because of the (fashion) industry’s contribution to the economy. “In India, cotton contributes a lot, in terms of earning revenue and generating employment. So, it is only right that the government promotes it like they encourage the IT industry as well. Similarly, in a country like France where fashion is much bigger than any other industry, the fashion weeks are able to generate billions of dollars within just one week there. The Mayor comes readily forward to promote it. Even at the Eiffel Tower, ‘Paris loves fashion’ is often displayed. It depends on how many people are affected by a particular industry,” says Rahul.  

Actress Kirron Kher

Not just the fashion designers, even the shop owners feel that the impact of such initiatives doesn’t just remain limited to social media but trickle down to the day-to-day business too. Harinder Singh, owner of 1469, an apparel shop in Connaught Place, says, “The business might not come immediately as there needs to be awareness first. People wear polyester cotton as it has a better finish. Only someone who really appreciates a pure cotton (clothing) will buy it. Once the awareness spreads, the business of cotton will also grow. Such initiative is a great news for people like us who deal in cotton wear.”

Vineet Chhajer, director, Vineet Sarees echoes similar sentiments: “Cotton and Indian summers are interlinked. When the government promotes indigenous weavers and farmers, it creates an impact towards the demand of the product and also boosts a sense of appreciation towards the fabric.”