--By Upashana Neupane

 

If  you are passionate about designing your own imagination and flaunting the trendy designs, you can get the route by pursuing a career in the same world. IEC (Indian Education Centre) College of Art and Fashion, the pioneer in the country to introduce the course in fashion designing is providing you two courses where you can scribble your mind creatively and artistically: Bachelors in Fashion Design and Bachelors in Interior Design.

 

Recognising the need and addressing the passion for fashion design course in Nepal, Shailaja Adhikary, started the institution on her sole initiation. Adhikary, who is the Managing Director at the college, shares that her step to introduce a new course and that too of fashion in Nepal was not easy but says it was worth the effort. Adhikary shares she was only 21, when she started IEC realising the need in the country to set up the institution for professional fashion designing training. 

 

IEC was started as an institution for computer trainings and fashion designing initially. Adhikary had to include the computer courses in her institution as people then were not so much willing to join the tailoring courses as it was attributed with the negative stereotypes. “I turned down the computer courses, when Ifelt the craze for fashion design increasing and computer slowing down”, she recalls, “That was the right time to gear up for the Fashion Designing course in Nepal.”

 

The Courses Offered

IEC Offers Bachelors degree in two courses: Fashion Design and Interior Design. The three-year Bachelor degree is segregated into six semesters.

 

Fashion Designing course helps students learn draping, patternmaking, and sewing techniques in detail. Students are also provided with the opportunity to interact with the top designers of the country and abroad as they visit the college as guest speakers helping student understand and create designs that can be made public through on campus exhibitions. 

 

Interior Designing course provides student in-depth knowledge about field and gets opportunities to collaborate and interact with leading practitioners too. The college arranges field visits to the places with interior spaces like hotels and restaurants, hospitals, residences, stores and so on. Students are also provided with internship facilities in their last semester. “We are soon planning to send our students to India for internship”, she shares, “It’s a bigger platform and exposure there.”

 

After Graduation

Graduates of both the courses get ample career choices. Adhikary shares that there is a huge market for the graduates and they can be consumed very fast and easy. “Not only domestic market, students have to compete in the international arena too,” she shares.

 

Adhikary who herself believe in making your own identity always suggests her students to start entrepreneurship. “You shouldn’t give your hard work to somebody else,” she opines, “Have the experience of 2-3 years to work under other organisation and then start your own business.” Fashion Design graduates can pursue their career as costume designer, fashion consultants, fashion designer, fashion entrepreneurs, fashion photography coordinators, fashion show coordinators, fashion stylists, production supervisors, accessory designers, jewellery designers and so on.

 

Meanwhile, Interior Design Graduates can pursue their career as CAD (Computer-Aided Designs) designers, commercial interior designers, designer consultants, exhibition organizers, furniture designers, institutional interior designers, fashion show coordinators, lighting designers, and residential interior designers etc.

 

Likewise, IEC has been supporting various fashion shows and beauty contest in Nepal which is a plus point for the students. It was also the joint organiser of first Fashion Week which was first of its kind in Nepal. “These kinds of shows provide bigger exposure to the designers” Adhikary opines, “They give bigger platforms to the new and talented designers in the country andneeded to be encouraged more.”

 

 

Eligibility

Those who have passed their +2 level in any faculty are eligible for the entrance exams taken by the college. And one must pass the entrance test to get the admission. The College is affiliated to the Vinayaka Missions University, India.

 

Started from 13 students, Adhikary recollects the memory of her initial days where she only had been able to make 35 students throughout the year.“The scenario now has thoroughly changed and the fashion designing course or fashion itself is not viewed with the stereotypes”, she shares.The college now is over flooded with the focused and determined studentswilling to pursue the courses and Adhikary is positive that the scenario will still get better.