UNFOLD 2024: Graduating Designers Exhibit Their Talent at Annual Grad Show

The Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD) recently hosted its graduation show, "UNFOLD 24,"  on 31st May and 1st June at its New Delhi campus. Celebrated annually, the Graduate Show serves as the grand culmination of the four-year-long journey of the graduating designers—a gateway to showcase their potential to a diverse audience—industry practitioners and design enthusiasts. 

The event began with a lamp-lighting ceremony, officiated by IIAD officials namely Mr. Ajit Chadha (Chairman) alongside Dr. Jitin Chadha (Founder & CEO), Prof. Usha Nehru Patel (Director-Academics), Prof. Snehanshu Mukherjee (Course Leader, Interior Architecture and Design), Aarti Uberoi (Course Leader, Communication Design), Dr. Sunita Gupta Konwar (Course Leader, Fashion Business Management), Kishore Chakraborty (Course Leader, Foundation) and Sundeep Ramudamu (Course Leader, Fashion Communication).

Day one focused on events from Communication Design (CD) and Interior Architecture & Design (IAD) departments. Communication Design students exhibited their projects in animation, illustration, branding and packaging design, UI/UX design and publication design. The Communication Design department showcased several award-winning major design projects. 

One such project, Playable, is a set of play cards which tackles childhood therapy for cerebral palsy, making it more engaging and effective for children and empowering parents to continue their child's development at home.

Another project, ‘A Journey of Discovery,’ is a documentary celebrating cultural connections, featuring a protagonist's experiences of storytelling with important life moments  and learning about Indian culture beyond language barriers.

The CD department also screened animated short films such as ‘Ami Tumi Rumi’ and ‘Patangarh ka Hero.’ While Ami Tumi Rumi by Anindita Banerjee (2020-2024) sheds light on issues like identity problems, Patangarh ka Hero by Nanki Ghuman (2020-2024) uses multiple characters and an open-ended narrative, inviting viewers to decide who they consider the hero of the story.

A multi-media student-led performance titled ‘The Last Hug’ featured a group of students using movement and internal dialogue to find acceptance within themselves and others. This project envisioned a powerful invitation to improvise and create a safe space for young women to express themselves authentically. It is a call for women of all ages and backgrounds to explore communication beyond words.

Following this, Communication Design students were awarded by Rajesh Dahiya and Mohor Ray Dahiya (Co-founders, Codesign Brand Consultants):

1. Academic Excellence awarded to Ms. Anindita Banerjee.
2. Professional Excellence awarded to Ms. Anish Sekri. 
3. Professional Excellence awarded to Mr. Madhav Maheshwari.
4. Most Socially Relevant Project awarded to Ms. Yukta Varshney.
5. Special Recommendation awarded to Ms. Jiya Godara.
6. Special Recommendation awarded to Ms. Nanki Ghuman.

The Interior Architecture & Design (IAD) department hosted a panel discussion titled ‘Designing a Practice’, which brought together industry experts including Asha Sairam (Principal, Studio Lotus), Akshat Bhatt (Principal Architect, Architecture Discipline), Rajiv Bhakat (Partner and Principal Architect, Studio Code), Anuj Mehta (Principal Architect, Anuj Mehta Architects) and Rachna Agarwal (Principal Architect and Co-Founder, Studio IAAD).

The panel discussion at the Interior Architecture and Design department focused on the importance of achieving a balance between professionalism, meeting deadlines, and incorporating creative exploration into the design process. To ensure project success and exceed client expectations, panellists emphasised the importance of effective client communication strategies. Additionally, the discussion acknowledged the challenges of incorporating creative exploration within professional constraints, highlighting the need for open communication and a client base receptive to innovative design approaches.

The IAD exhibition showcased a range of thought-provoking graduate projects. An award-winning project titled “Life in a Metro” by Rashika Lungani (2020-2024) proposed to redevelop Mandi House metro station into a holistic public space. This design proposal aims to create inclusion of physical activity and spatial opportunities for relaxation, social interaction, economic revenue generation, cultural growth, and educational propagation. 

Another project, “Beyond Care” by Siya Suri (2020-2024), shed new light on the issue of transitional housing, proposing a mixed-use design for care leavers using veteran architect Raj Rewal’s Sheikh Sarai Housing as its site. The project highlights deficiencies in current government infrastructure and establishes parameters for more effective housing for youth at-risk, which aims to provide residents with experiences and skills for independence.

The Interior Architecture and Design students were awarded by industry veterans including Tapan Chakravarty (Architect, Urban Designer and Educator), KT Ravindran (Architect, Academician and Urban Planner) and Vinod Gupta (Partner, Space design consultant.) for the following categories:

1. Academic Excellence awarded to Ms.Rashika Lungani.
2. Professional Excellence awarded to Ms.Yashik Jain
3. Innovative project awarded to Ms. Siya Suri.

The second day of the Graduate Show was dedicated to the Fashion Design (FD) and Fashion Business Management (FBM) departments. The FBM department hosted a thought-provoking panel discussion on "Employability Attributes for Thriving in a Dynamic Job Market." 

Industry leaders Saryu Punhani (Entrepreneur, Sase Studio), Jaspreet Singh (Merchandise Manager, Fahome), Rashmi Tomar (Group Leader, Triburg) and Pradeep Tomar (Startup & Incubation) offered valuable insights into the evolving landscape of the fashion business and the qualities employers seek in top candidates. The panel discussion centred on critical questions regarding student success in the competitive fashion industry, specifically exploring the characteristics of resilience within this dynamic environment. Experts emphasised the importance of adaptability, strong communication skills, and a solid understanding of business principles as key factors for thriving in this competitive field.

Fashion Business Management students were awarded by all the panellists for their outstanding performance :

1. Academic achievement awarded to Ms. Sneha Gupta
2. Most Innovative Project awarded to Ms. Simran Rawat
3. Most Industry Relevant  awarded to Ms. Reiya Oberoi
4. Special recommendation awarded to Ms. Pearl Ahuja.
5. Special recommendation awarded to Mr. Kavish Rakheja.

PG Fashion Business Management:

1. Academic achievement awarded to Ms. Khushi Srivastava.
2. Professional Excellence awarded to Ms. Anshika Walia.
3. Most Industry Relevant awarded to Ms. Dakshita Pradeep Singh.

Major design projects of fashion design students featured the designers presented unique collections of six garments each, showcasing their individual design styles, aesthetics and technical expertise, where 24 budding fashion designers took centre stage. 

One award-winning project titled Preserved Memories by Heba Usman (2020-2024) was inspired by the Kutch community's tradition of caring for textiles. The collection used hand-processed leather and kala cotton to create garments that honour heritage and mindful creation, reflecting the students' ability to translate ideas into wearable art. Through block printing, hand-painting, and natural dyes, the collection offers a unique exploration of materiality and a play between colour and form.

Another award-winning collection, titled Gharsa by Naseeb Sihag (2020–2024), explored the complex relationship between home and self. Through his collection, the designer reflected a deep longing for his rural home, despite the difficulties of family life. The elements are depicted in a childlike, whimsical way, reflecting the designer's nostalgia and connection to their roots. Overall, the collections offered a glimpse into the diverse design sensibilities of the graduating fashion design class of 2024.

The fashion exhibitions at UNFOLD offered a diverse exploration of textiles, design, and fashion history. Titled "BAAT," one exhibition showcased documentation of insights from traditional Indian crafts through student collaborations with artisans from Mundra village, Gujarat. Another exhibition, "Transform and Restructure," challenged conventional garment design with inspirations from sculpture, architecture, and photography, questioning the relationship between 2D patterns and 3D forms. "Dress It Up" explored the history of clothing from an Eastern and Western perspective, questioning the traditional power centres and their contemporary relevance. 

Sunil Sethi (Chairman, Fashion Design Council of India) graced the event with his presence and presented awards to the graduating Fashion Design students for their exceptional work. Listed below are the names:

1. Most Innovative Design Collection was awarded to Mr. Naseeb Sihag. 
2. Most Innovative Design Collection was awarded to Ms. Sanskriti Maheshwari.
3. Best Engineered Design Collection was awarded to Ms. Harmeet Kaur. 
4. The Best Engineered Design Collection was awarded to Mr. Arpit Rawat.
5. The Socially Design Collection was awarded to Ms. Heba.
6. Academic Excellence awarded to Ms. Somanya Nasa 
7. Academic Excellence awarded to Ms. Shreya Goel.
8. Special recommendation awarded to Ms. Palak Aggarwal.
9. Special recommendation awarded to Ms. Vanshita Mishra. 

UNFOLD'24 effectively served as a platform to launch these aspiring graduating designers with innovative and socially conscious designs.  It also offered them an opportunity to showcase their talent and gain crucial industry insights. By bridging gaps between design, society, and industry, UnFold'24 demonstrated IIAD’s commitment to nurturing future design leaders capable of shaping the design landscape with innovative and mindful solutions.