Our Post-Graduate Fashion Design students cannot thank their stars enough for getting an amazing opportunity to work on real time industry projects with the leading names of the industry. It happens every year around this time that Post-Graduate (Semester 3) students make an effort to align their classroom learning with practical industry training and showcase their path-breaking ideas.

These projects gave students a real-world experience of working with the industry and learn different aspects such as financial and operating logistics. Students also understood the finer details that are involved in the larger aspect of business such as accountability in a real time project. Working on live projects and with such renowned names encourages the Pearlites to be more practical, energetic and enthusiastic about their work.

The learnings that the project imparted include regular interaction with industry on the brief and meeting the needs of the client. Self-motivation, in-depth market research, and working on the fabric cost aspect helped the students in deciding the desired outcome.

Each project was delivered keeping in view specific requirements like the colour palette, fabric, target age group, production cost and other characteristic sensibilities.

Some of the brands the students worked with includes:
Future group (online range), Goodearth (Kalamkari & Dabu), Gwynniebee(++size), Pitara (Japanese theme), Benaras weave (contemporizing brocades), Muskaan ( the collaboration of 2 different NGO’s, one at AIIMS where kids undergo chemotherapy and second NGO which serves intellectually challenged kids).

Here’s a brief description about their projects –

• The Project was assigned by none other than the famous and the leading retailer of India, “FUTURE GROUP“. Future Group is an Indian private conglomerate, headquartered in Mumbai. Future Group is coming up with a brand for the women of India, A ready to wear brand which is curated especially keeping the modern Indian women in mind. A brand which is as stylish as Zara or H&M yet is designed especially to meet the needs of Indian women.

• The project –”Banaras Pret” wear is inspired from the wall carvings in general and architecture in the temples of Banaras city. Also, the Pearlites draw an inspiration from the Ghats of Banaras and the effort to re-invent Banaras and revival of Banarasi drapes and brocade the project is undertaken. The collections beautifully showcased the divine and sublime connection of the city which has a lot more stories to tell than one can imagine. Also, Varanasi is well-known for its Banarasi saree and silk fabric.

• Project “Pitara” (Japanese inspiration) is designing a print for everyday clothing with the inspiration from Japan for spring summer 16′ collection. The group chose bamboo and ikebana as their metaphors, which makes this project lively, with a focus on quality, functionality, utility and perennial style.

• Another project “Good Earth“, Good Earth as a brand is all about attraction and luxury. With the given restricted brief, it was a challenge to create and generate the outcome with their own personal ideas into it. Pearlites took inspiration from Taj Mahal, and inspired by its carvings and paintings and window structures. They developed motifs, of pomegranate, Jaal and parrot, and then created repeats of the prints.

• “Banaras Clubwear” is the other project, which has metallic glitter on the outset. Club wear is all about bling and glittery stuff for which the students chose brocade in metallic bronze colour. According to the industry brief, they work towards to contemporise traditional Banarasi sarees keeping in mind the drapes, traditionalism and brocades which have become limited to festive wear now. They chose mushroom as their inspiration to develop silhouettes, drapes and elements to develop the fabric.

• One more extension of Good Earth is “Dabu“, the project aims to preserve and promote the heritage of Dabu Block Printing. Good Earth works on creation of exclusive prints and silhouettes with specific sensibilities. The opportunity to make such designs drives them to get the desired results. The journey involved understanding Dabu process and limitations, working on inspiring stories, developing prints, getting blocks made, exploring colour variations, getting printing done and lastly garment construction.