The fashion industry in India, as we know, is steadily but superbly growing. It is overwhelming to see how the industry is glamorized in newspapers, magazines and on television. However, it is considerably young. The first fashion show that happened in India was in the year 2000. Since then, it has attracted many young people to venture into this creative field.
Being one of India’s premier institutes, we, at Pearl Academy, have taken the responsibility to nurture these dreams. Fashion has always been perceived as a very generic term – glamorous, but there’s so much more to it. At Pearl Academy, we are on a quest to change the perception and generate professionals that are proficient in doing more than fashion. Famous designer Marc Jacobs once mentioned, “Clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them.” These words stand true in today’s world of fashion more than ever. Fashion designing is not only about peddling designs and wares, but it is also about understanding the society and conforming to its culture and needs. It is about inspiring the community by reflecting the same values and ideals.
#PearlPortfolio 2018 was an endeavor of strengthening the learnings of our graduating batch students. Likewise, it was a great exposure for our students to showcase their skills. The event featured almost four hundred students under the theme ‘Future of Fashion’ at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on 18th March 2018.
The grand affair showcased the design collections inspired by individual interpretations and concepts of ‘Future of Fashion.’ The masterminds had well-crafted stories that were woven into clothes, which were showcased in five different slots throughout the day. These were inspired by sustainable fashion, traditional Indian craft, fashion sub-culture, and individual design identity in correspondence to evolving fashion trends and ethics. The collections revolved around ideas like deforestation, afterlife and Kanchani.
Students from graduating batch of Fashion Styling & Image Design and Fashion Media Communication fabricated the costumes for ‘The Black Swan’. It was an enchanting ballet performance that left the audience spellbound. The costumes were elegant and befitted the characters. Every feather and sequin was weaved to tell a story. Simultaneously, the students also performed a street play, which revolved around the ideas of body positivity and gender. The concept was ‘Fashion as a voice for Social Activism’. It was scripted and directed by two students of Fashion Media Communication.
The event was consummated by an extravagant line-up for the finale. We saw garments and gears that were imaginative, offbeat and mythical. The budding designers didn’t leave any stone unturned to explore the potential of the platform. There were headgears inspired by fallen angels, peacocks, Egyptian mummies and everything from bumblebee to a cobweb. Each of it was a representation of the ever-evolving world of fashion.
The event was attended by some big names from the design and fashion fraternity, educational institutes, feature writers and media like Deepak Bhagwani, (Manish Arora Company), Salesh Grover and Prem Dewan (OSL Luxury), Manjeet Bhullar, Gunveen (Zara), Neelanjan Ghosh (Tarun Tahiliani), Rina Dhaka, Abhijeet Khanna, Nitin Bal Chauhan (Fashion Designers), and Sunil Sethi (President, FDCI).
Also, Pearl Academy was recently named in the top 25 Global Fashion School ranking by Business of Fashion – that is a true testimony of the institution. We take pride in being the only Indian institute to be ranked 21 in graduate, fashion ranking. #PearlPortfolio was a true celebration of our victories, and 25 years of legacy. It was a great experience to see how our students have imbibed our values and are industry-ready. They have an itch to go out and shape the future of fashion.
