My project brief was to design jeans for women especially for Spring-Summer 2006 and Autumn Winter 2006. SF jeans are one of the largest selling brand for cargos and stylised jeans for men. For the Spring-Summer 2006 collection, the objective was to expand their range of products for women’s wear. This gave me the opportunity to be associated with one of the leading Indian brands in jeans wear and learn what goes into the making of such a brand.

There is a retro wave in the denim market today. People are getting back to the roots. They are getting nostalgic and coming together. But the retro look, which is distinctly ’60s and ’70s, is devoid of the attitudinal dimensions like youth rebellion and cultural change that marked the eventful decades. “Retro is just fashion. People want to look cool and nice.”

Globally, denim designers are experimenting with fabric and garment details including embellishments – in order to add value. New add ons are being incorporated in the form of patches, appliqué, rhinestones and glitter.

The diploma project is essentially a basis to bridge the gap between the design student and the industry professional. This six month experience, gained before formally graduating from the institute helps in gaining an insight into the working of the industry and one’s place in it. The idea is to execute and implement the learning and experience picked up over two years of training in NID. This happened in my case too.