The first edition of 'Rajasthan Heritage Week', that includes a 3 day fashion extravaganza, Handmade in Rajasthan aims to celebrate the desert state's textile and crafts will begin in Jaipur from December 3 . Fashion designer Prasad Bidapa has collaborated with National Award winning handloom weavers from Rajasthan for this event.

For this event, Bidapa has worked with top designers like Ritu Kumar, Abraham and Thakore, Hemant Trivedi and Bibi Russell and aims to highlight heritage fabrics like khadi and kota in fashionable silhouettes for the global market. Former international model-turned Bangladeshi designer Russell, previewed her collection at the newly revamped Bikaner House here today.

Bidapa said that they did a pilot project with Bibi working with weavers in Jaipur and her first collection debuts in Jaipur next month. Designers from India and across the world worked with the traditional textile arts of Rajasthan. India needs to brand its khadi and handloom masterpieces and position them as true luxury.

For designer Russell, Kota Doria should be the pride of India. She has worked for many countries including in Bangladesh, Latin America and South East Asia among others and don't understand why Rajasthan should not be fashion capital. She is set to show her new collection with khadi, kota and other crafts in Jaipur and since she got back from Europe this is the day she was waiting for, she said. For designer Russell it was "a dream come true."

The event, part of the desert state's Textile Development Programme' is being held with Khadi Board and the state government of Rajasthan and intends to showcase a spread of rare Kota Daria sarees, khadi prints and hand-embroidered fabrics that are quintessentially Rajasthani.

Acclaimed designer Ritu Kumar also participating in event said that the clothes and fashion in India are an art form and they should retain it. India is the only country which has a very unique, individual organic fashion handwriting and that they are lucky that this event is happening.

The state government is going out in a big way to promote its festivals and the Bikaner House located near the India Gate here has also undergone a revamp and is now equipped with a exhibition hall, an art gallery which opened with an exhibition of photographs by Maharaja Ram Singh of Jaipur, and gift shop. A new restaurant with inhouse catering is also set to come up soon.

Malvika Singh co-chair of sub group in Tourism, Rajasthan government said that the project was conceptualised to benefit the textile artisans of the state in a manner that would create "intervention without interference". Rajasthan has one of the richest fabric and embellishment craft forms of India and the integration of these ancient and beautiful techniques into the work of the contemporary fashion designers was a mission that could only benefit both.