Budding designers must be taught the difference between inspiration and plagiarism, says Akshra Dalal
How the art and fashion industry has evolved in recent years?
Art and fashion are both creative domains and have always shared an intimate relationship. From Schiaparelli’s collaboration with Dali to Louis Vuitton’s Artycapucines Collection, Art has always served the purpose of inspiration for designers. Since art is a free form of expression it helps designers in pushing their boundaries as creative individual as there is a scope of exploration and novelty. From taking historical art movements and artists as inspirations to collaborating with young and independent artists, designers have come a long way and this amalgamation of two fields is only getting stronger by each passing day.
What are the challenges facing the industry in terms of skills needed?
Right now the industry is struggling to become a circular economy. The need to create environmentally conscious yet trendy designs is the driving force. But with fashion becoming more and more affordable and with increasing competition, industry does not need new designers they need thinkers and innovators who will help in making this industry a circular one.
What should the institutes do to make students job-ready?
Institutes should focus on quality over quantity. Value of hard work and positive attitude should be incorporated at early stages and so does the knowledge about copyright infringement and intellectual property rights. With social media and technology, we have access to each and every designers work but students must be taught to understand the difference between inspiration and plagiarism.
What are the skills that the industry is looking for today?
The industry currently is looking for people who can make a difference and multitask. Apart from an out of the box and lateral thinking towards problem, an eye for details, great artistic skills, knowledge about latest fashion trend and a general awareness about fashion and art industry is a must. Designers must develop unique skill sets to have a competitive edge over others. Designers who have innovative ideas to break away from the monotony and create something ecologically conscious as well, would have an edge over others.
Do we really need to put emphasis on theory in courses like fashion and art?
Theory is as important as the practical aspect in fashion and art or may be even more than practical. Introduction to the framework, conditions and tools they will be using within and in their interpretation is important.The goal of theory is to make them understand previous interpretations and criticism and to help them in thoughtful observations. When people look at a design or art they think about it and it becomes essential for them to know the concept and theories so they can put that work in context and explain their thoughts.
What are the future plans?
It all started with a dream, a vision to create a powerful student body, with exceptional skills to make their imagination come alive. Long term goals are to develop Indian design education to match growing industry needs and stay relevant in a dynamic global environment. In keeping with latest developments in global markets and societies we train students to design keeping in mind the three pillars of purposeful innovation, ethics and sustainability. We aim to strengthen it every year so our brand and our students are always on the cutting edge of change.
The goal is to always collaborate with like-minded educational partners in the world so our students widen their horizons and pursue truly international careers. We are proud to have kick-started this journey with KOEFIA, Rome, Italy followed by University of Arts, London. We have collaborated with London College of Fashion for a styling program and Chelsea College of Arts & Science as well.