Experts from fashion industry to train youngsters in city

Tribune news service

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Amritsar, May 14

Looking towards tapping the ever increasing potential that the non-metro cities such as Amritsar present, the big names of the fashion industry are making their presence felt.

Through direct or indirect collaborations, the big wigs of the Indian fashion scene are now mentoring and guiding fashion students from the city.

Good news for the aspiring young fashion conscious minds, many of whom are glad to get mentors like Manish Malhotra, Daboo Ratnani and other big names of fashion industry, these associations, claim industry experts, will definitely raise the stakes for all involved.

“Earlier the youngsters, who wanted to make it big in the fashion industry, had to move out of Amritsar to a place like Chandigarh or Delhi to get good exposure. But today, the experts and insiders are coming to the city to guide and mentor them,” said Neelu Gauri, centre head, INIFD, Amritsar.

The INIFD is collaborating with ace designer Manish Malhotra to start short-term courses in styling, makeovers and fashion marketing.

“These courses are open for anyone, who wants to pursue their career in fashion, be it a student to a housewife. Manish will be sharing video lectures and his team will visit Amritsar every three months to mentor the students under the programme, which is designed by Manish himself,” she said.

Not just fashion styling and designing, but other branches of the glamorous industry too seem to be attracting the youth to take up interesting career options.

Ansab Khan, a budding fashion photographer, who has worked under Daboo Ratnani and with Manish Malhotra, feels that the sky is the limit now.

“Earlier, people only saw fashion as a thing of the ‘high and mighty’. Today, even a teenager knows the importance of dressing up and looking good. Fashion has become a way of life for most, thanks to the Facebook culture. Also, the youth didn’t have much knowledge about what options did they have besides being a model or a designer in the industry,” he said.

Ansab, who is a fashion photographer, is soon going to launch his brand in the city. He said the youth had moved beyond self-teaching in Amritsar.

“It is good for us that experts are looking towards Amritsar as a talent hub,” he added.