INTERVIEW
INDIA IS HAILED AS THE LAND OF
KHADI AND PEARL HAS LAUNCHED AN
INITIATIVE TOWARDS THE SAME. CAN
YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT THAT?
We have been working with khadi initiatives
throughout the year. To commemorate the 150th
WHAT KINDS OF SHIFTS HAS
FASHION EDUCATION IN INDIA
EXPERIENCED TODAY?
The fashion industry has changed drastically
over the last few decades and so has fashion
education. Technological transformations and
global information-sharing have transformed
how education, industry, and markets function
today. With the rise and growth of the fashion
industry, more and more students are willing to
explore and pursue alternative careers. Design
and retail are global phenomena, but fashion
education is not limited to design alone. There
are various verticals to explore—business,
lifestyle, styling, entrepreneurship, graphics,
events, communication, etc., and these are highly
competitive segments. Over the years, Pearl
Academy has signed several memoranda of
understanding (MoU) with international academic
institutes to provide students with opportunities
to learn through exchange programmes, summer
programmes, art festivals, workshops, and many
such activities. Faculty from institutes such as
Nottingham Trent University and Manchester
Metropolitan University visit Pearl campuses
on a regular basis to interact with students on
trending topics. Similarly, industry leaders visit our
campuses and equip students with an in-depth
understanding of the industry. In addition to this,
participation in global platforms such as New York
Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, and Milan
Fashion Week gives students the much-required
industrial exposure and experience to become
global professionals.
limited awareness in the country around fashion
as a prospective career. Igniting conversations
around new-age career options beyond
mainstream ones was a massive challenge that
we faced. Soon, we identified the scope for more
innovation and ventured into communication,
interior, product and accessory design, business,
media, and more. We work closely with the
creative industries and constantly reinvent our
curriculum and pedagogy in order to sustain our
repute as one of the premier places for creative
education in India.