I started my diploma project with the company JPC Export House which deals with polo wear (the sport) mainly in breaches, but I finally selected the Lakme Fashion Week, 2006 show, to work on.

When I received a call from NID saying that final year students of apparel design could send their entry to Lakme Fashion Week, Mumbai to showcase their collection in the Gennext category for young students and designers, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. As luck would have it, my entry was selected; six candidates were selected from the 50 entries they had received. This was one of the most memorable moments of my life; an opportunity that every student fashion designer dreams of. The collection showcased by me in Gennext was based on Cubism (the paintings). The design elements focused on exploring the original paintings’ compositions in terms of perspectives, layers, placements, and depth of the patterns. Even the silhouettes and the design details conveyed the flavour of the theme. The collection received a good response from the media and appreciation from buyers, designers and professionals. Also, it gave me the opportunity to convert the collection into my diploma project.

Thus, my diploma journey started with a collection named Miniature inspired from Mughal miniature paintings. In this collection, the elements were derived from the paintings themselves such as colour palettes, design details, print surfaces, patterns and I combined them with western silhouettes and other product range.