DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
FASHION ACADEMIA
Despite having such strong
educational qualifications,
Vaibbhavi did not plunge into
fashion designing but instead
turned into a fashion educator.
As the Founder and Head
of Department (HOD) of MIT
Institute of Design, Vaibbhavi
played a role in writing and
delivering the B.Des (Bachelor
of Design) programmes in
fashion design and fashion
communication, were endorsed
by the UGC (University Grants
Commission) India in 2006, post
which they earned recognition
across the country. In 2012,
Vaibbhavi identified a need for
international validation, and
hence steered these fashion
courses towards collaboration
with the University for the
Creative Arts, United Kingdom.
But that’s not it. She attests,
“In 2014, I became the founding
88
I APPAREL I
June 2019
course leader for Pearl Academy in Mumbai. This
gave me the opportunity to explore Indian craft
clusters and industry hubs alongside museums,
street and high-street fashion, and fashion week
collections in global fashion capitals such as
London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, and Milan.”
She further adds, “A glocal approach is pivotal
to the understanding of fashion through primary
research and discussions.”
SLOW FASHION COLLECTIONS
In 2017, Vaibbhavi realised the urgent need for
slow, sustainable fashion. Her first collection that
year was ‘Bougainvillea’, which was created from
Mangalagiri cotton in beautiful colours with shot
effect achieved by contrasting, interwoven warp
and weft yarns.
Her Spring/Summer 2018 collection, ‘Rheeva’,
was inspired by the Narmada, and was an ode to
exquisite Maheshwari saris woven on the banks
of the river.
For Autumn/Winter 2018, Vaibbhavi made
ample use of khadi to craft the ‘Kshitij’ collection