INTERVIEW
IS THERE A GAP BETWEEN FASHION
ACADEMIA AND THE INDUSTRY? AND IF
SO, HOW IS PEARL ADDRESSING IT?
For professional education to have an impact,
there has to be a deep integration between the
industry and the institute. This is essential for
student success. At Pearl Academy, the industry
partners with us in developing the curriculum,
recruiting faculty, classroom-teaching, career-
mentoring, and mentoring even after the students
are placed, as a result of which the student
outcome is aligned with the needs of the creative
industries. Pearl Academy additionally works with
the industry to identify future trends, changes in
business models, international influences, etc. We
do this through thought-leadership engagements,
where we bring together the best minds in the
world (from both the industry and academia) with
our faculty and industry to deliberate and identify
‘what’s next’. This also means that our students
get the best of inputs that prepare them to be the
leaders of tomorrow.
IS THE INDIAN AUDIENCE READY TO
ACCEPT SUSTAINABLE FASHION YET?
While sustainable fabrics such as cotton, khadi,
linen, etc., have always been a part of Indian
fashion, with time and keeping in mind the
evolving lifestyles, indiscrete consumption has
also surely made its way into the daily lives
of people.
However, rising awareness of the ecological
impact of the same has brought sustainable
fashion into the limelight, with more emphasis on
organic, eco-friendly garments and accessories.
It is important to note that product aesthetics
and appeal are critical and no one will buy
something sustainable if it is dull and boring.
Our curriculum has a strong focus on the United
Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
and we have seen our students grow in terms of
experimenting in the sustainable fashion arena.
Overall, young people the world over today
are much more aware and are making minful
choices regarding products and consumption.
This is happening in India, too, but not as fast.
With more awareness around sustainability and
more Indian designers creating beautiful, nature-
friendly collections, we are going to see a greater
response to it in the years to come.
WHAT MEASURES OF SUPPORT DO
YOU SEEK FROM THE GOVERNMENT
IN FURTHERING FASHION STUDIES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY?
To support the creative industries, I look forward
to the following initiatives from the Government
of India:
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of India—apart from documentation of the
craft, a credible census, protection, and ways
to uplift the craftspeople could be built into the
school curriculum, which can later become an
inherent part of our lives.
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all verticals as a tool to problem-solve. This
is essential for us to stop working in silos
and create collaborations across fields such
as engineering, artificial intelligence, design,
health, infrastructure, media, etc. These
collaborations will help various players to come
together to create a strong, creative economy.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM PEARL
ACADEMY IN THE COMING YEARS?
There is a possibility that we may soon announce
an international campus and we will share more
on that as and when we are ready.
Porto Fashion Film Festival; and Shefali Jauhar,
who is now an academic at Parsons School of
Design, New York, among many others.
APPAREL
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