Lakhotia alumni styling the world

Needless to say, Lakhotia Institute of Design (LID), which was founded in 1997, and earned appreciation as an institute offering both basics and higher learning, is into grooming talent in myriad in-vogue professions like fashion design, jewelry design, interior design, architecture, fashion pattern-making, modelling and photography.

According to its founder-Principal, Ayesha Lakhotia, its USP has all along been in training students who can help revive and uplift the rich Indian crafts as also provide an economically meaningful life to the artisans, especially in textile and textile ornamentation.

“The industry is growing by leaps and bounds and the future that beckons aspiring professionals is very competitive and the innovation-driven market requires one to adopt business strategies. We have metamorphosed into a pioneering industry leader given our standing as a school that has qualified faculty, which develops courses with a pulse on the needs of the entire spectrum of the industry,” points out Ayesha.

A student of LID has been in the news for winning laurels in Tollywood. Subhash Kartik, who has worked on the looks of several actors and during audio launches was part of Ramgopal Varma’s Veerappan. Kartik choreographed this year’s NIFT Hyderbad Show.

The institute, which has an impressive office at Banjara Hills, in addition to the one at Abids, is teeming with starry-eyed students, who wish to join the best in the business. They have inspirational success stories to emulate as many of the earlier students are making a name for themselves in the film industry, including in Tollywood.

For instance, Aswanth, who did a two-year course at LID and went in for higher studies in Italy’s prominent institution, Instituto Europeo di Design, is currently into costume designing for Telugu movies.Incidentally, LID has working associations with not only the Italian school but also Design and Arts College, New Zealand and United Kingdom’s leading place of learning, University of Bedfordshire,

“We place all our students who are keen on going in for advanced and more pronounced specialisation studies in such schools. Our intention is to start the learning experience, say for ones keen on fashion designing, from the mundane threading a hand-sewing needle right up to the stitching high-fashion couture garments,” points out Ayesha, who as a post graduate in fashion designing, understands the market requirements first-hand.

Raula Sankeerthana, who did a PG Diploma in Fashion Design from the institute and is presently employed as manager at Portmans in Australia and also doubles up as a visual merchandiser at Levi’s, says ‘my dream of making it big in the industry took concrete shape at LID. I feel a designer or artist has the freedom of expressing any emotion through one’s workmanship. These ideas and techniques were honed and given the required direction at LID.’

In case you have been bowled over by the different and attractive appearances of Mughda Godse, Esha Gupta and Sonal Chauhan than that has come courtesy of a desi touch, Pratap Simon, a freelance stylist and designer, who is a product of the Lakhotia School. Simon is presently busy with national and international shows.

Another former student, Sameer Junaidi, who is now the Vice-President overseeing the international market of Hyderabad-based Kashish has earned a name as a freelance stylist for Bollywood celebrities. The management in its quest to give a practical touch to the training regimen also provides students opportunities to work independently as well as collaboratively.

It also conducts fashion shows that will help aspiring models and designers to showcase their skills and adaptability levels. Celebrity lectures and workshops conducted by the biggies are among the regular features in the academic calendar.

The impressive track-record notwithstanding, Ayesha says ‘we wish to be up there as an institution that produces quality students who can rub shoulders with the global best and hold onto their own.’ LID hopes to spread its wings by establishing centres in towns to be nearer to the artisans to commemorate its fruitful three-decade journey.

By: Sridhar K Penna