Helping aspiring designers weave their dreams

Strap: NIFT topper gives free tutorials to students, helps them secure top AIR ranks

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 26

A unique start-up in the form of online video tutorials created by city-based textile designer and 2010 National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) entrance topper Pallak Kakkar Khanna (29) has come as nothing but a boon for the youngsters aspiring to take admission in top design institutes in the country.

Khanna, through her YouTube channel, The Design Ladder, began free classes in the pandemic times for the aspirants of NID and NIFT and in a span of nearly 10 months has produced great results. Her students have got AIR ranks – 2, 8, 59, 65, 136, 137, 242 and so on. “It was so satisfying that I have so many students who have their own success stories to tell. They share how they made it to the institute of their choice by developing concept clarity through my channel,” boasts Khanna about what she calls her ‘social entrepreneurship initiative’.

A resident of Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar here, she says that she remembers the time when she was an aspirant. “There were hardly any good coaching classes available and they all used to charge hefty amounts upto Rs 1 lakh per course or more. After completing my course in 2014 with a rare 10 CGPA score, I worked with designers in Japan, Switzerland and Netherlands. I returned after gaining experience and worked as designer in my dad’s textile industry. I got married and have a daughter now. It was on August 15 last year that I realised that I must rekindle my passion which has always been to undertake design education in a creative way,” she narrated her story.

Showing the video tutorials that she has been preparing, she said, “My single video involves a full team effort spanning over two to four weeks with professional animators putting in 2D and 3D animations to make videos interesting and memorable. My team members are based in Delhi and Mumbai. Ahead of working for any video, I prepare a proper plan and fit into it some easy learning concepts. For the current affairs videos, I have been giving unique tips for memorising the answers. For the same reason, some of my videos have close to 1 lakh views.”

Khanna further adds, “I check out every comment on my video and try to reply to all doubts and queries. I sometimes even make videos for clarifying common doubts of the students. For one-to-one interaction, I use Instagram messaging with my students.”

Sharing about her passion for design, Khanna tells, “I was so obsessed with drawings since my childhood that I sometimes used to sit in washroom and do my work there so that no one could disturb me. My mother realised this passion in me and encouraged me to take part in all the art competitions since my childhood. I have participated in many contests held locally as well as at far off places like Hyderabad.”

She credits her success to the constant support and encouragement of her husband Ankur Khanna and in-laws and sums up, “I want to help out as many students as I can through my free lectures, so that no dream is left unfulfilled due to the unfortunate crisis.”