Cool minister

Union textiles minister Smriti Irani’s (pictured) "dress sense has improved noticeably after she became the textile minister (in July 2016),” states The Indian Express’ senior columnist Coomi Kapoor in her column ‘Inside track’ on May 21, 2017. Kapoor complimented the minister’s choice of saris — Pochampallys (geometric patterns), Chanderis (hand woven silks from Maharashtra) and Ikats (a dyeing technique), adding the garments "showcase the diverse tradition of the country’s weavers.”
On May 16, Irani kick-started a campaign on social media to promote cotton. "India’s rendezvous with cotton predates the Indus Valley civilization,” she tweeted, reported The Times of India of May 17. Cotton has become the ultimate summer fabric, she is reported to have said. "Wear cotton to stay cool and celebrate the cotton industry that employs millions across the country,” she exhorted. Minutes after she tweeted her picture wearing a cotton sari and asked, "What is your #CottonIsCool look?” union ministers and other celebrities including film stars and sportsmen posted their pictures wearing cotton. "Promoting cotton is yet another noble initiative by the minister, and we are all set to take it forward,” Fashion Design Council of India president Sunil Sethi told TOI. Irani had used Twitter last year to popularize handlooms using the handle #Iwearhandloom.