The Higher Education Review

Indian fashion industry is anticipated to become worth $106 billion by 2026. Increasing penetration of the internet and ecommerce is fuelling the market growth. India, being the largest producer of jute, cotton and silk, is a giant provider of raw materials for textile industry and this resourcefulness is driving the market opportunities for the domestic industry. Furthermore, the largest young population in the world that India currently has is also creating a wide consumer base for textiles and apparel.

In light of the industrial growth and the flourishing fashion market, the space needs a vast talent pool regarding fashion designing and allied fields that can support the ongoing upsurge in the fashion industry and drive the growth curve upwards in consistent manner in the future. This is where Kanya Maha Vidyalaya has pledged to play a vital role to impart knowledge in fashion technology through structured and progressive mode of learning programs to the students and prepare them with the insights on how to channelize their creative force in the organizations they will get associated with.

Kanya Maha Vidyalaya has put forward a multifaceted educational structure for fashion technology for the students with wide exposure to both national and international market. Situated in Jalandhar, Punjab, KMV has taken up the noble mission to enable higher education for women and contribute to the prosperity of nation through women empowerment. Being one of the few autonomous colleges in northern India, they designed their fashion designing curriculums in a way that educates the students with industrial knowledge through various internships and onsite visits. KMV's progressive way of providing fashion studies encourages entrepreneurial spirit

among their students along with marketing literacy while channelizing their creativity towards their passion for fashion.

Array of Programs & Infrastructure
KMV's status as an autonomous body helps them modify their syllabi according to the changing industry requirements and dynamics. The progressive mode of learning that they offer is interdisciplinary in nature aided by the latest industrial equipments. They provide the students with marketing experience, national and international seminars and workshops, city-level exhibitions, visits to craft rich areas and design houses and industrial visits and internships to enhance their entrepreneurial skills and opportunities for research.

KMV also arranges fashion shows by collaborating with Times Group and several other organizations. For fashion designing course, they offer Bachelor's, Post-Graduation and diploma programs which include B.Sc. in fashion designing, M.Sc. in fashion designing and merchandising, P.G. diploma in garment construction and fashion designing , B.Voc and MVoc. In Textile design & apparel technology and diploma courses in textile and fashion design.

The interdisciplinary programs render career opportunities galore that include fashion designers, merchandisers, event organizers, pattern makers, apparel production managers, fashion forecasters and many more. KMV has dedicated a huge block to fashion design and technology where the students learn several skills like pattern making, garment construction, traditional textiles, textile chemistry, illustration, sustainable fashion and weaving techniques.

Academic curriculum on Chemistry has also been incorporated in the syllabi as it plays a big role in processing textiles and weaving. A CAD laboratory is also set up for teaching design. The students also are at the advantage of selling their own products like garments and fashion accessories on Amazon. KMV also have their own online portal where they can showcase their artefacts and sell those as well.

KMV has developed an inclusive learning environment that grooms the student as independent thinkers who are capable of making a social impact.

Atima Sharma Dwivedi, Principal of KMV adds, "In our college, the Board of Studies is a body consisting of experts from the college and the university and the fashion industry.

Concisely, the best of brains of the country are invited to this Board of Studies for every department to form the syllabi. Our industrial partners advise us on the skills needed to be included in the programs so that the students can be ready for the professions they are going to take up. The students are trained in the industrial know-how and the requirements of the most progressive developments in the industry of the 21st century. So, this is the advantage of having the industrial partners in our board of studies".

Vision for Future
KMV is currently focusing on enhancing their visibility in the international sphere in order to attract foreign students. With more emphasis on exposure to corporate sector, they will be continuing to expand their horizons in terms of more divergent course programs with the inclusion of law and commerce. "As per the new education policy of running cluster colleges, we are planning to mentor many cluster colleges as our institution is already supervising seven colleges in research, innovations and entrepreneurship.

In addition, we are working towards the revival of natural dyeing techniques with Ayurvedic dyeing, reintroduction of sustainable practices like traditional handicrafts into contemporary fashion and making it interesting for the youth", Dwivedi further adds. The USP of the department is its 15 IPRs in design granted by Copyright Office, Government of India. The faculty members have received PhD from top institutions of India and have qualified UGC NET. They have various Scopus research papers to their credit besides book and chapter publications of National repute.