A kids’ clothing brand that started during the Covid-19 pandemic, employing women with no source of income and featuring their children as models, has grown over the past few years and had consistent sales in the lead-up to this festive season.

“Khudey: the little one” — an initiative of a government schoolteacher — who through the fashion line wanted to address the inequalities in society, where one child growing up in the slums is discriminated against one growing up in a privileged setup, she said.

“We can’t visualise a child from a shanty as a model displaying a new collection. We are more used to seeing them in rags or hand-me-downs. These children feature in our lookbook and appear no different from any privileged child,” said Arpita Chakraborty, the teacher.

She started Khudey with a friend under the aegis of an NGO — Tanuz Vocational Training Society.

What was barely a sale of ₹50,000 in 2021, this year in the run-up to the festive season had sales of about ₹3 lakh and is now able to generate income for 30 women.

“When we started the women had no source of income but were ragpickers. But we realised that if we train them they are capable of much more which they have proved over time,” said Chakraborty.

The demand for their products, mostly apparel, has steadily gone up.

“This year, since July, we had exhibitions every month and it is continuing till December. This means that the work that the women are doing has a saleability,” she said.

They have had exhibitions in Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurgaon besides Calcutta.

Chakraborty had started working with the children during the pandemic when all schools were shut. The children would come to a centre in their neighbourhood in Topsia and study.

Soon after, Chakraborty roped in the mothers who were ragpickers or had nothing to do. When they started the fashion line, the mothers were trained in tailoring and embroidery.

The kids, on the other hand, are excited to shoot. “There is a certain degree of glamour attached to it and they enjoy that,” said a volunteer.

It also helps them in teaching discipline and the importance of hygiene.

“When they go back from the centre they pick up abuses from the environment. They don’t know the meaning of the words but they use them knowing well that it is an expletive,” said Chakraborty.

“Our objective is to make them understand the importance of self-care, hygiene and good behaviour,” she said.

It acts as an incentive for them. “When the kids are told that a shoot is lined up for at least a month they start taking care of themselves, like tying their hair neatly, cutting their nails and in general making efforts to look tidy,” said Chakraborty.