Chitkara University’s Department of Fashion Design, Chitkara Design School played host to a thought-provoking Fashion Future Forward Conclave conducted over 2 days in its campus located at Chandigarh-Patiala Highway.

The Fashion Future Forward Conclave gave cohorts of students an opportunity to engage with Fashion Design Studios, Academics and Famous fashion brands. This afforded a chance for free flow of ideas and dialogue among the present Fashion Design Students of CDS.

The Fashion Design Students initiated dialogue on important topics like the future of sustainability, Metaverse, digital green marketing and rise of athleisure wear etc. along with global future directions to be taken by the fashion industry. The topics of discussion among fashion design students featured evolving fashion design practises, using biodegradable materials, deploying lightning speed algorithms to make complex structures and 3D Models.

This event at CDS was presided over by Ashish N Soni, Design Director at Ikos Designs Pvt. Ltd. and Narendar Kumar Ahmad, Creative Director at Amazon. Other noteworthy attendees to this event included Urvashi Kaur, Founder of Urvashi Kaur – A conscious luxury label, Karishma Shahani Khan, Creative Director at Ka-Sha, INDIA, Karan Berry, Founder and Creative Director at Mr Berry, Nitin Kapoor CEO and Co-Founder of Iba Crafts and Mahima Prasad, Manager at Ajio Luxe, Reliance brands.

While speaking about his interaction with the students at the event, Soni said, “The students were very enthusiastic. They were very keen to know and learn what the industry experience is. The kind of questions posed were very interesting and I think based on that there is a huge potential.”

Ahmed said, “There is always a divide in academia and professional practice. Events like these are really helpful for both the students and us industry experts to have these conversations. Some of the questions that the students had prepared really challenged us to put on our thinking hats. I really enjoyed the conversation.”

Chitkara University, through this conclave, has facilitated interpersonal dialogue between the students and industry experts in a transparent manner which has led to bridging the gap between expectation of employers and aspirations of their potential employees.

Chitkara Design School is an institutional member of FASHION DESIGN COUNCIL OF INDIA, FDCI. CDS students had worked as national level event crew and assisted fashion designers at FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week held at Delhi & Mumbai. The University audience was able to experience what all goes into making a Fashion scene work including fashion presentation, behind the scenes of fashion shows, conceptualization of fashion collections right from its conception to its presentation on catwalks.

The 4-year B. Des. Fashion Design Program aims to impart comprehensive fashion education through integration of principles of Design, Apparel and Textile with technology into dynamic fashion scenario. Students are able to gain practice and explore the forms, silhouette, materials, and process in light of social and environmental concerns. This has led to fashion solutions, that are innovative, sustainable, and responsible, for multicultural market scenarios present in India as well as across the globe.

The methods of teaching puts great importance on experience-based learning which seeks to guide the students in pursuing professional career pathways like pattern making, garment manufacturing, fashion merchandising, and creative design entrepreneurship for apparel categories whether emerging or established.

The faculty at CDS is made up of designs professionals as well as experienced educators, all of them known to be innovative with their mentoring which inspires students to develop a unique voice through their design projects. Special emphasis has been put on critical engagement with contemporary practices in the current socio-cultural and economic context which leads to success in fashion business and imparts skills relevant to creating new standards in apparel design.

The guest speakers at this event also applauded the efforts of Chitkara University in developing fashion designers with industrial orientation along with providing a dynamic and research informed curriculum that has made highly competent, ethical, and employable individuals. The aim of Fashion Design Program at CDS is to provide focused fashion product development as well as experiential learning and skills relevant to multidisciplinary design environment and entrepreneurial mindset suitable for creative industries. The skills acquired by students of this program are relevant to the Design pathway of their choice in Domestic retail markets, expert markets, MNCs, freelance consultation and establishment of own fashion brand/label.

The Fashion Design Program at CDS has been curated in such a way that it can keep pace with upcoming world scenarios, needs of the users and upgradations in field of Textile and Apparel Technology while maintaining the standards of sustainability and eco-friendliness. The Program allows the students, with a goal of acquiring specialized knowledge, to nurture their academic interest along with personal growth. These emerging fashion professionals are able to learn skills & competencies relevant to design practice.

The study programs at Chitkara Design School have the spirit of interdisciplinary growth which enables the students to carry out design projects guided by design thinking, empathy, and pragmatic as well as exploratory research, innovation and research in the field chosen by the student for specialisation.

The industry speakers attending the event congratulated the University for hosting an outstanding conclave. They also highlighted the fact that Fashion Design plays an important role in various areas of fashion and textile industry. The study programs at Chitkara University are preparing the students to be highly skilled fashion leaders for an illuminated Fashion Forward Future.