A Societal Intervention by Fashion Technology Students of KCG through Art and Technology
Engineering education should be thought provoking and inspiring to instill societal interventions. While technology is an application of science and engineering, Fashion Technology also integrates artistic sense and human emotions and attracts everybody’s acceptance. Working with a social commitment is a very important aspect for a fashion technologist. At this outset the Department of Fashion Technology of KCG College of Technology, Chennai sensitized and motivated their students to organize Covidesta 2020 campaign which is an initiative for a noble cause to salute the contributions of the Covid frontline warriors. Students planned a synergy between the impactful art and the mighty technology and planned online contests to overcome the lockdown uncertainties.
The intrinsic and influential value of art was tapped for the purpose of creating memories of the covid warriors and their contributions, which may fade away with time. The opportunity of unleashing the creative and artistic talents of KCG students and the common public was proposed through doll making and poster making contests. KCG partnered with ‘The Nesavu’, an award winning kids brand to create a launch pad for the creativity of their own students and the general public through this campaign, in the form of an E-commerce website for the sale of various types of covid warrior merchandise. All the proceeds from this campaign will go to honor and support the Covid heroes. With the online sale of covid warrior dolls handcrafted by the underprivileged women of Shivanjali Trust, the sale of the covid warrior doll collection was launched. Along with attractive cash prizes, the award winning and commercially viable dolls of the contest will also be available on sale along with due credits given to the creators of the doll.
While an engineer is expected to be creative and innovative to give real life solutions to any problem, a Fashion Technologist, engineers garments which are beautiful, comfortable, eco-friendly and sustainable using the available textile and garment technologies. Fashion Technology program, which aims to inculcate technical expertise and a creativity trains students to produce innovative, aesthetic and functional textile fashion products paving way to establish sustainable fashion business. The students learn about the process and technology involved in the manufacturing of textile fibres, yarns, fabric, dyeing, and printing and also the application of various special and functional finishes given to fabrics. Further the students get a practical exposure on the manual processes from authentic artisans and also in the various software available for designing, pattern making, garment construction, surface embellishments or ornamentations like embroidery, garment printing etc.
With the acquired knowledge and skill from their B. Tech. program, now the students are involved in optimizing and analyzing the possibilities of commercializing the award winning designs. The students are working on simulating the doll designs through 3D printers, embroidery, crocheting, sewing, printing etc. They are trying to explore better materials or better techniques of manufacturing and also to improve their sustainable design.Through this campaign the department is also striving to pool more fresh talents and craft enthusiasts and launch a brand for this new product line of covid warriors, encompassing a wider gamut of interesting merchandise.
This has been a memorable experience for KCG’s Fashion Technology students because they were engaged fruitfully during the lockdown, understood their responsibilities as a part of the fashion fraternity to make an intervention in the society through their digital and artistic skills. They are prepared to excel in the field of fashion in a multi-dimensional approach as per the quote of the famous French fashion designer, Coco Chanel, “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas,the way we live, what is happening”.
