Fashion design education after COVID19

The global pandemic has forced the work to reimagine a lot of things and come up with various solutions that are unusual but might be the new normal taken the scare that the pandemic has caused. These changes also include changes in the fashion industry.

Questions about fashion choices amid as well as after the pandemic are being raised, one which includes the uncertain position of lipsticks with masks being the most important accessory in the current situation has nullified the need and use of lipsticks, etc. For all these changes the fashion design industry as well as the educational institutes are also reading and revamping themselves. 

Not only the change in demand in fashion is a concern for the current fashion design students but also how to learn fashion is another important question in this field.

Design education is extremely practical project based and it is hands on experience that matters in this field more than any bookish knowledge. But with the shutting down of the colleges and the uncertain future semester situations, the position of hands in experience for the students is facing a setback for the while now. 

Big names in the fashion design education in India are the first ones to come up with solutions for this, which include NIFT, The National Institute of Fashion and Technology, the second largest name in design in the country after NID, The National Institute of Design. 

Nitin Kulkarni, the chairperson of Master of Design at NIFT, Mumbai says “While the institutes are devising multiple methods of remote teaching and online mentoring for the students, several lab training and workshop-based industrial and technical learning are hampered due to lockdown. The standstill situation in industries is hampering the hands-on learning.” 

Technology in these times has proven to be a true friend for everyone with access to it, especially the students and working people. With little tweaks and further development in the technology, which already has seen constant change, much more can be achieved. Similar is the case of fashion design education. NIFT and other design institutes in the country are now preparing for the future.

 “To support our students at this critical time, we have been providing a positive disposition in the realm of learning through webinars and online counseling,” says Sandra Sequeira, Director, JD Institute of Fashion Technology.

“Design education is humanistic learning where real human connection is a must. The connection between an instructor and learner helps better. Though technology has helped us in cultivating the connection to a certain extent, there is a long way to go.

Tomorrow’s education will have to embrace augmented reality (AR) to make it more feasible. Future has a lot to change in the course of industrial practice, hence even the course of fashion education,” he adds, talking about the technological advancement and the positive effects it has in the current situation as well as for the future of both, the industry and the students.

The Fashion industry post pandemic

There is a huge debate about the situation of the fashion industry post pandemic. Will people not require shopping anymore; taking the current circumstances or will they shop more than they do normally because they haven’t spent on non essential things for a long while now? Whatever it is, fashion never goes of style and a dip in the industry doesn’t seem likely even after the pandemic is over even though the industry is facing problems like any other.

Though many fashion influencers on social media platforms like instagram and youtube are losing a bit of their popularity as well as sponsors, online fashion brands are still doing well, i.e. better than most things that are non essential in these times.

A Fashion Designer, Narendra Kumar says that “The pandemic will definitely put the brakes on the industry for a while. It will take some time before it bounces back. The situation will be particularly difficult for fresh pass-outs as not many jobs will be available for them. also, Very soon Artificial Intelligence will make a foray into the fashion world and the newcomers should update themselves with the new technology.”

Current situation of fashion design education in India

Students of fashion design are facing a lot of problems amid the lockdown, especially in coping with home education for such a practical based field and also to appear for online exams.After about 700 signed petitions against online exams, institutes like NIFT were forced to take steps towards the matter.

Decisions are still uncertain but the college is aiming to be for the favour of the students. While many institutions are going ahead with plans that are alternative for exams, some colleges are still debating it.

Like students from every other field, there are testing times for the fashion design students as well but with constant changes, things are to be better soon.

But one thing that the current situation has taught is that, to be able to fit in the future industries, may it be job or education, one has to have a good grab of technology and always has to be ready and open to changes because that is how the technological field works.