Our five-pronged approach focuses on your individual strengths to develop your unique qualities towards making you an exemplary pi- designer.
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bridgingimaginationandwearability
In the fast-paced 21st century fashion industry, we equip fashion designers through contextual research, proficiency in visualization and fluency with materials.
In the fashion design course you learn to overcome challenges through innovative thinking and techniques in an intensive studio based environment, while shaping your personal creative process and style statement.
At IIAD, we teach our Fashion Design students to be environmentally conscious by building awareness and sensitivity. Our pi-designers develop a strong value system through ethical fashion practices like zero waste pattern cutting and draping, minimal seam construction and upcycling.
IIAD shapes students into contexually aware and ethical fashion designers, who consider the perspectives of multiple stakeholders. You develop a holistic outlook, which helps to address complexities and build conceptually-strong design solutions.
The studio-based projects in the fashion design course lay emphasis on embracing your inner voice motivating a deep exploration of the self. This empowers you to come up with origianl concepts as you are encouraged to carve a niche for yourself.
Deconstruction of the finished garment forms a significant approach in our teaching methedology. This aids a fashion design student's understanding of how a garment is made from start to finish, by breaking down its components. The idea is to learn about the design and thought process that goes into a garment, from concept through construction to the end product.
The Foundation programme serves as a transitional bridge, facilitating the shift from traditional schooling to a more learner centric educational experience.
This programme offers students a clear route to enter the dynamic and exploratory realm of design education at IIAD with confidence. They gain proficiency in a wide range of design skills while expanding their design knowledge and language. After successfully completing the Foundation year, students seamlessly progress to BA (Hons) Fashion Design course.
BUILDING SHAPES & FORMS + ENGAGING WITH MATERIALS + TOOLS OF DESIGN + BODY & DIVERSITY + BODY & MOVEMENT + FLUIDITY AND DRAPE
The first year of the Fashion Design course is an enriching journey of ‘Unpacking the Self’ by diving into the depths of your core essence. You start to express your own unique narratives in the conceptualisation and design of garments. As you foray into the realm of fashion and materials, you will discover the trail from yarn to fabric, and how to manipulate materials to develop interesting surfaces and textures. The body becomes the ‘canvas of exploration’ and fashion design students build a sensitive approach towards movement, diversity, body types and genders. As part of the project briefs you also learn fundamental technical skills such as pattern cutting, stitching techniques, and understanding the machine. On completing this year, you will be able to design, construct and finish basic silhouettes.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY + PRACTICE-BASED + LEARNING BY MAKING + EXPLORATION-BASED
By the end of this year, you will have the opportunity to engage in your initial industry interaction through an 8-week Learn On-site internship, which should focus on multidisciplinary learning experiences. Fashion design students are encouraged to explore a wide range of avenues within the fashion industry such as textiles, art and design, as per their area of interest.
TRANSFORM & RESTRUCTURE + SUSTAINABILITY + REVERSE ENGINEERING + CRAFT PRACTICES + INDUSTRIAL METHODS + MATERIALITY
The second year of the fashion design course focuses on an in-depth understanding of forms and structures in relation to the body. You also learn advanced tools and techniques of design, material manipulation and product detailing. Students explore diverse facets of a given theme, researching the history and contemporary context of a garment, and deconstructing it to understand how it is made.
Our emphasis on industry experiences takes centre stage through Live Projects and productive liaisons with fashion design professionals and thought-leaders. As you get acquainted with the landscape of the fashion industry you get introduced to professional practices and processes. Working collaboratively with traditional artisans in their habitat under the auspices of a brand will give you a live experience of translating indigenous crafts to a marketable line of wear. Projects on sustainability introduce students to ethical practices, helping them evolve as responsible designers who are equipped to address global concerns.
INDUSTRY PRACTICES + COLLABORATION + BRAND AND CLIENT + ORGANISATIONAL SET-UP + STAKEHOLDERS + REAL-WORLD CHALLENGES
The 16-week Learn On-site internship represents an extended industry immersion designed as the entry point to your professional career. You get opportunities to work in professional environments and understand the dynamics of organisational set-up. You will gain experience in all aspects of the design process such as concept development, sampling, production, merchandising, marketing, sourcing, analysing trends, surface and print development, quality control, sustainability, range buying and more. IIAD fashion design students have secured internships in many leading design studios including 11.11, Levis, Pero, Hemant and Nandita, Suket Dhir, Allen Solly, Ajio, Indigene, Tarun Tahiliani, Rahul Mishra and Eka to nam
JOINING THE DOTS + REPACKING THE SELF + COMPLEX DESIGN PROCESS + ENTREPRENEURSHIP + GRADUATE COLLECTION
From ‘Unpacking the self’ to “Repacking the self’, you emerge as a self-reliant designer in the final year. You will drive yourself as an independent thinker and forge professional connections to lead and shape your design practice with ease. At the same time, you build entrepreneurial skills that help translate your ideas into reality. You emerge as a confident, self-aware fashion designer with your own distinct design sensibility. This clarity helps you build a unique niche for yourself and stay at the forefront of your trade.
The final year of fashion design course culminates with the Major Design Project which gives you an opportunity to showcase your creativity, individual style and aesthetics as your representation of fashion. You will undertake an intense design process which is more personalised in your final project. You develop your designs, inspired by something close to you that stimulates your creative impulse. Throughout the project, you will take design decisions independently while getting close mentorship by faculty. You will be actively engaged with different components of a design collection, going beyond concept and construction of garments, to work with styling and lookbook photoshoots, planning the final ramp walk show and more.
Form generation process for the project - “Memoir of the Scars”. The collection attempts to unravel different emotions while breaking out of the shell. Surbhi Sinha, Fashion Design (2018 - 2022)
“Shape of Water” project is a costume extension of the amphibious princess without voice, unveiling herself back on land and narrating her love story in the future. Priya Joy Pynadath, Fashion Design (2018 - 2022)
Fashion Design student showing handloom, a part of the Denim Project exhibit to Mr. Upender Singh, Secretary - Ministry of Textiles at the Graduate Show 2022
Fashion Design students exhibit their graduate collection at the Graduate Show
Journal excerpt from the “Jacket Project” showcasing process sketches and manipulation of the panel while designing a jacket. Raghvi Sehgal, Fashion Design (2017 - 2021)
House of Masaba
Fab India Overseas Pvt. Ltd.
Tiber Taber
Femella Fashion
Urvashi Kaur
Hemant and Nandita
Eka Design Studio
Shades Of India
11:11
ABFRL
Rare Rabit
Arvind Ltd
Style Junkiie
The fashion industry offers a variety of roles and engagements. You could be involved in process-oriented fashion design work like conceptualisation, or in hands-on work with innovative and contemporary materials, fabrics and textiles. You could also be a professional who studies seasons and trends. You may be in a more entrepreneurial position like developing a design range, as well as marketing and selling your brand and products to the end client.
Hiren Verma is a seasoned designer with 20 years of experience in Design, Product Management, Product Development, Merchandising and Styling.
Parul Agarwal is an Associate Professor in the Fashion Design department with 15 years of teaching experience and strong industry connections. He is a Fashion Design (Domestic Retail) postgraduate from Pearl Academy, New Delhi, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE) from Nottingham Trent University, U.K.
Richa Sood has 18 years of experience in Fashion business, with core expertise in garment and print design. She has been consulting as a design head for Nirrammya, a leading brand in the middle east and worked intensively with; Tarun Tahiliani and Rohit Bal. Apart from ready-to-wear, couture and bridal collections,
A strategic thinker and an eco-friendly designer, Shipra Kukreja is best known in the industry for sustainable fashion and ethical design practices in her professional endeavours. In addition to being a NIFT alumna, she holds a Masters’ degree in fashion design from Nottingham Trent University, UK. She is also a Fellow with the HEA (Higher education academy), UK and has completed her PG certification in higher education from Kingston University (UK).
Smriti is an artist and design practitioner who works on sustainability. An alumna of the National Institute of Design, NID Ahmedabad in Textiles, her work has helped her to travel and live with various communities across India to design craft and sustainability projects.
Proficient in all aspects of design, illustration, pattern making, draping and constructing in Indian formal , ethnic and festive wear as well as home furnishing and accessories, Anupama has over 25 years of experience working with leading fashion houses and supplying to some of the best labels in India and abroad.
Dr. Nisaphi Lyndem, born in the culturally rich region of North-East India, is a researcher, apparel designer and author. She holds a PhD in Indigenous Textiles and Anthropology from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi, with her doctoral thesis titled “Cultural appropriation and semiotic study of textiles handwoven in Nagaland: The Angami and Sangtam tribe.”
IIAD’s purpose-built campus aims to meet the dynamic learning-teaching needs of its progressive pedagogy and curriculum. The environment’s adaptive spaces include studios, digital labs and 3D material workshops, which are all designed to facilitate seamless multidisciplinary collaborations and exchanges.
The Denim Project: Exploring Denim as a versatile fabric in designing garments under the mentorship of Himanshu Shani, co-founder of Korra Jeans and 11.11/eleven eleven.
The Fashion Design studio is designed in such a way that they provide students with spacious workstations for their projects while at the same time they can be converted into exhibition spaces.
Students are encouraged to explore and experiment. The fashion studio provides ample space for them to work with materials and fabrics in the process of creating garments.
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Fashion design is the art of crafting apparel, footwear, and lifestyle accessories, but it’s more than just style and function; it’s a medium for self-expression. At its core, fashion design delves into broader concepts of identity and culture through clothing and accessories. It intricately weaves together elements of gender expression, geographical influences, and culture while harmonising with practicality and materials. Fashion design spans a wide spectrum, including haute couture, luxury, ready-to-wear, fast fashion, sportswear, evening wear, accessories, footwear, lingerie, loungewear, and swimwear.
Fashion designers conceptualise and create clothing, accessories, and footwear, either within fashion houses or as independent professionals. Beyond creativity, a fashion designer must possess knowledge of fabrics, materials, trends, and consumer preferences to create collections that match current fashion trends.
Below is a summary of typical fashion designer roles based on brand and specialisation:
When it comes to pursuing a career in fashion design, the choice between a degree course, a diploma course and a certificate is pivotal. While all of them have their merits, a fashion design degree often emerges as the preferred choice for aspiring fashion designers. Here’s a comprehensive table to help you identify the key differences:
Searching for a fashion design course? Need help in deciding what’s best for you? Look no further than IIAD, a distinguished institution in Delhi. Keep reading to discover why IIAD is the right choice for your fashion design career.
At IIAD, you will be enrolled in a four-year fashion design course that begins with a strong foundation year, followed by three consecutive years of intensive coursework and in-depth industry exposure to the fashion industry. For more details, please visit the fashion design course page.
The curriculum is designed to meet industry standards at different levels, making it a unique and market-relevant learning experience.
IIAD’s fashion design course stands out through hands-on, studio-based learning instead of traditional classrooms. This teaching approach equips students with advanced design techniques, material manipulation, and product detailing catering to the evolving demands of the fashion design industry, and bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world projects.
Their teaching experience, innovation, and creativity create an academically rigorous and industry-relevant learning environment. IIAD thrives through its diverse faculty and mentors, encompassing academics and industry practitioners namely Shipra Kukreja, Anupama Datt, Gaurav Singh, Ginu George, Richa Sood, and Smriti Ahuja.
For more details regarding the seasoned faculty, please visit the fashion design course page .
Fashion design has a wide array of career options allowing the students to specialise based on their interests and skills. Here are some innovative fashion design career options that you can choose from:
Some designers become influencers, educators, consultants, or entrepreneurs, and others analyse trends as researchers. This diversity makes the fashion industry a playground for creativity and innovation.
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