Fashion is not just about creating clothes—it’s about telling stories, challenging norms, and empowering voices. As someone who has spent decades immersed in the ever-evolving world of design, I’ve come to value the thrill of the runway and the responsibility of nurturing the next generation of designers. That’s why stepping into the role of Fashion Design Mentor at JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore, has been an incredibly rewarding chapter in my journey.

When I entered JD Institute, I was amazed at the uninhibited creative energy that fills its halls. The students here possess ideas—bold, unselfconscious, and authentic. My task is easy: to allow them to take that imagination and convert it into real, functional design. Whether they are creating collections or learning the basics of building, I intend to assist them in making inspiration become reality.

One of the largest problems with fashion education today is the gap between the industry and academia. Students are taught so much creativity but a very little amount of reality. My role at JD Institute is to bridge the gap. I impart knowledge from the industry—what’s trending now, what the market needs, client behavior, and the realities of production—so that students learn to design not for the sketchbook, but for the market.

What I like best is the debate we are constructing. I do not think of myself as a lecturer dictating notes—I think of myself as a co-creator, learning with these sharp minds, pushing them to think, and being pushed to think as well. Their amazement keeps me on my toes, and their enthusiasm is contagious.

I wish to impart to them not just the skill of creating clothing but also the audacity of creating a career—to claim fashion, to be unapologetically original, and to dialogue with fashion not as trend but as voice. With the ability to conjure sustainable wear for the pursuit of new-age silhouettes, the world is limitless.

It’s a privilege to be included in JD Institute’s vision of creating designers who are not only dreamers but also doers. With proper guidance, exposure, and tenacity, I know these students not only will enter the industry, but they’ll reimagine it.