EVENTS

Amity School of Fashion Technology under the Faculty Applied Arts/ Fine Arts/ Performing Arts & Visual Arts organized the 6th International Conference on Fashion Apparel & Textile 2021 (INCFAT ’22) online on 14th and 15th Nov, 2022 at Amity University, Noida. The conference theme was “Advancements in Fashion and Textiles: Emerging Opportunities,” which brought together industry experts, academicians, and researchers over a single platform for discussion on the advancements and innovations for growth of fashion and textile sector.

The conference received an excellent response from the participants and the audience. A total of 19 eminent global speakers joined and shared their views on the Technical Advancements happening in the T&A industry. The conference shortened the boundaries of the seven seas with participation of all the invitee speakers from different sectors of apparel and textile industry. The conference also observed a participation of over forty faculty and research scholars from different reputed national and international institutes such as NIFT Delhi, NIFT Kangra, NIFT Gandhinagar, NIFT Patna, NIFT Jodhpur, NIFT Chennai, MIT Institute of Design, Subharti University, Woxsen University, Aryabhatt DSEU, KVA DAV College for Women, Whistling Woods International Limited, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Khalsa college for women, Lady Irwin College, Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University, Amity University Uttar Pradesh. The conference registered physical participation of over 700 students/audience.

Prof. (Dr.) Pradeep Joshi, Group Additional Pro-Vice Chacellor, Director General and Dean, Faculty of Applied Arts, Fine Arts, Performing Arts & Visual Arts in his opening remarks emphasized on the necessity of conferences like the INCFAT, and how the technological advancements are acting like driving force for the Textile and Apparel Sector. Dr. Joshi further discussed on the role of sustainability and sustainable practices in the fashion and retail industry which is acting in emergence of T&A industry by large, in India, and the World. Further to it, he added; Skill development is the need of the hour, and technologies such as Artificial Intelligence is gaining popularity in amongst the global fashion brands easing the process of logistics and supply chain for the retail brands. He welcomed all the esteemed speakers, and researchers, and congratulated them on presenting their research works with the audience.

Theme session, “Advancements in Fashion and Textiles: Emerging Opportunities,” consisted of speakers from different sectors of Industry. Mr. Jayant Kochar, CEI, Unbox Retail, Ex Founder- MD Lacoste India, Founder Barista. Mr. Lalit Thukral, President, Noida Apparel Export Cluster, Executive Member, AEPC, Mr. Rajeev Bansal, Managing Director, Celestial Knits & Fabs Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Ram Sareen, Chairman and Founder, Tukatech Los Angeles, CA U.S.A, Ms. Varija Bajaj, Eminent Fashion Designer, Varija Design Studio, Mr. Vijay Mathur, DG & CEO and Executive Director, Apparel Training and Design Center.

Technical session I “Emerging Trends in the Business of Fashion” initiated with the remarks of the keynote speaker, Mr. G H S Prasad, Director NIFT Jodhpur. It was followed by four research paper presentations by academia and scholars who presented their research Emerging trends of fashion E-business in college going students, Use of Disruptive Technologies in Fashion, etc.

Technical session II, “Sustainable Fashion” began with the remarks of keynote speakers, Dr. Neera Chandra, Director ATDC India, and Ms. Rinku Sobti, Fashion Designer. The invite speakers focused on the different aspects of Sustainability in Fashion Industry. It was followed by five paper presentations on by Researchers from AUUP, NIFT and many other institutes on topics such as, A study of the Consumer buying Behaviour towards Sustainable Fashion in NCR, Sustainable Fashion and our Ecosystem, etc.

On Day 2 the conference began with the Opening Remarks of Group Additional Pro-Vice Chacellor, Director General and Dean, Faculty of Applied Arts, Fine Arts, Performing Arts & Visual Arts.

Plenary Session: “Advancements in Fashion and Textiles: Emerging Opportunities,” initiated with five eminent speakers of the Industry and Academia. Mr Paul Bruski, Dept. Chair, Graphic Design Asso. Prof., College of Design, IOWA State University. Ms. Rinku Sobti, Fashion Designer, Mr Anil Peshawari, Vice President, Noida Apparel Export Cluster, Mr. Kazi Iftequer Hossain, President, Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association, Mr. Pratik Gadia, Founder & CEO, Yarn Bazaar, Dr. Roopak Vasishtha, CEO, Apparel Made ups & Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council, and Mr. Salil Chawla, Director DFU Publications.

Technical Session III: “Innovations in Textile & Apparel”, The Key Note Speakers were Dr. V. K Kothari, Emeritus Professor, IIT Delhi, Dr. Kusum Chopra, Ex-Chairperson NIFT, Delhi. Dr. Kothari emphasized on Technical Textiles and their usage in the field of Medical Science, and Dr. Kusum stressed upon sustainable practices used in garment manufacturing industry.

Session IV “Technological Advancements in Apparel Industry” The Key Note Speakers were Mr. Munish Tyagi, CEO, Nuovatex Projects, Mr. Surinder Tandon, CText FTI, Tandon Textile Innovations, New Zealand.

The last session also had four research papers and twelve poster presentations on various topics like A study on women's Consumer for Indian Ethnic Wear from Functionality Aspect, Artificial intelligence, and the future of fashion: an oxymoron, Data Analytics: A Catalyst in Transforming Fashion Retail Industry, Haptic technology: Innovation in wearable haptics replacing physical human touch, etc. These were presented by faculty and research scholars of various institutes.

Amity School of Fashion Technology under Amity Directorate of Applied Arts/ Fine Arts/ Performing Arts & Visual Arts organized the 5th International Conference on Fashion Apparel & Textile 2021 (INCFAT ’21) online on 16th and 17th Nov, 2021 at Amity University, Noida. The conference theme was “Textiles for Fashion Apparel: Changing Paradigms” which brought together industry persons, academician, and researchers over a discussion on the role of innovation and entrepreneurship for growth of fashion and textile sector.

The conference got a very good response with participation of nineteen eminent invitee speakers from different sectors of apparel and textile industry and more than forty faculty and research scholars of various reputed national and international institutes like NIFT Bengaluru; NIFT Jodhpur; NIFT, Kannur; NIIFT Jalandhar; Bannari Amman Institute of Technology Tamil Nadu; UIFT & VD Panjab University, Chandigarh; Sharda University; MIT Institute of Design, Pune; Whistling Woods International Limited, Mumbai; Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow; SGT University, Gurugram; The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda; ICAT Design and Media College, Bengaluru; Khalsa College for Women, Amritsar and Amity University Rajasthan. The total number of registered participants were 744 in the event.

Prof. (Dr.) Balvinder Shukla, Professor – Entrepreneurship, Leadership and IT, Vice Chancellor, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, and Patron – INCFAT 2021 gave welcome address and congratulated to the organising team for organising this conference on an important topic of academic interest and industry relevance.

Prof. (Dr.) Pradeep Joshi, Director General and Dean, Amity Directorate of Applied Arts, Fine Arts, Performing Arts & Visual Arts in his opening remarks emphasized on how pandemic has impacted demand as well as supply in Textile and Apparel Sector. US & EU which are the key destination market for Indian apparel exports were having huge impact of this pandemic which has resulted in cancellation of many orders resulting in disruption in the garment manufacturing units in India. Further to it, since apparel industry is labor intensive and has significant number of migrant labor which also adversely affected functioning of the apparel manufacturing units. Global supply chain for Fashion & Apparel will still take time to stabilize and so will fashion and textile industry & hence all segment of industry are to strategically plan accordingly.

Theme session, “Textiles for Fashion Apparel: Changing Paradigms”, consist of speakers from different sectors of Industry. Mr. K Radharaman, Textile Designer & CEO, House of Angadi, Ms. Pratima Pandey, Renowned Fashion Designer, Mr. Ram Sareen, Chairman and Founder Tukatech Los Angeles, CA U.S.A discussed on latest advancements in the field of Digital Fashion, Mr. Vijay Mathur, DG & CEO and Executive Director, Apparel Training and Design Centre

Technical session I “Sustainable Fashion and Textile” was chaired by Dr. Kusum Chopra, Ex- Professor & Chairperson (F.D.), NIFT, Delhi and Ms. Protima Chakraborty, Founder and MD Jute Land, Bangladesh. The session started with talk by invited speakers. It has been followed by eight research papers of speakers from academia who presented their research in areas like Scope of Sustainable Practices in Indian Textiles, Horticulture waste towards sustainable textile and Fashion and Sustainable fashion – reuse, repair and reconstruct etc.

Technical session II, “Marketing and Merchandizing for Fashion and Textile” was chaired by Ms. Madhu Jain, Craft Revivalist and Textile conservationist , Ms. Parul Parti, Country Manager, Lindex India Pvt. Ltd. and Mr. Ramandeep Singh, CEO Boutique International. The invite speakers focussed on the different aspects of Marketing and Merchandising in Fashion Industry. It has been followed by six paper presentations on by Researchers from NIFT and other institutes on topics like Students buying behaviour towards athleisure, Effect Of Social & Cultural Factors On Consumer Behaviour, understanding consumer perception and behavior of online shoping of Lingerie etc.

On Day 2 the conference was started with the Opening Remarks by Prof.(Dr.)Pradeep Joshi, DG, Amity Directorate of Applied Arts/ Fine Arts/ Performing Arts/Visual Arts & Dean, Faculty of Applied Arts/Fine Arts/Performing Arts/ Visual Arts.

Planary Session: “Textiles for Fashion Apparel: Changing Paradigms” was initiated with five eminent speakers of the Industry and Academia. Mr. Avdhesh Sharma, Group CEO, Asmara International Ltd, Hong highlighted on the importance of sustainability on supply chain, Mr. Kazi Iftequer Hossain, President, Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association stressed about the major developments in Garment Exports, Mr. R.C Kesar, Director General, Okhla Garment and Textile Cluster Kong discussed about Challenges faced by Apparel Industry due to Covid 19, Dr. Roopak Vasishtha, CEO, Apparel Made ups & Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council and Mr. Salil Chawla, Director DFU Publications. They highlighted on the latest development in the Fashion Industry.

Technical Session III: “Advancements in Apparel Manufacturing”, The Key Note Speakers were Mr Anil Peshawari, Vice President, Noida Apparel Export Cluster and Ms. Kamal Kapur, Owner, Achievers consulting, Ex-president Pearl global, Modelama exports, Mona designs. She stressed upon fashion Fabrics and Future focus on sustainability. She also discussed the sustainable design process. Mr. Yudhveer Singh Ahlawat, VP DAKS India Pvt. Ltd. Seven Paper Presentations on Visual Techniques as tool for Advancement in Apparel, Impact of Pandemic on E-commerce Fashion Industry, Preferences amongst Women and Trans women

Technical Session IV “Innovations in Textile & Apparel” The Key Note Speakers were Dr. V. K Kothari, Emeritus Professor, IIT Delhi, Ms. Bela Shanghvi, MD, Navanidhi Design Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Followed by six Paper Presentation on the topics Evolution of waterproof and water-resistant fabric, Cosmetotextiles: A Futuristic Technical Textile, Weaving the recycled fabric (Cigarette butts) with traditional art (Hase Chaitra) to create contemporary dress, A Comprehensive Review: UV Protection Factor in Natural Dyes etc.

The last session also had Nine research poster presentations on various topics like Unconventional Sustainable Textile Fibres for Luxury Fashion Industry, Role of Sakhi Entrepreneurs in Growth of Rural Area, Rethinking Pink for Indian Men, Celebrity Fashion Influence Over Millenial Men, A Study on Dominance of Hollywood Styles on Fashion, qualitative study on consumer behavior towards customization for all sizes and body. These were presented by faculty and research scholars of various institutes.

Ms. Divya Chauhan, Chairperson, Amity School of Fashion Technology, Amity School of Fine Arts & Amity School of Performing Arts graced the occasion with her benign presence. She acknowledged the importance of research in academics.

The conference concluded with Vote of Thanks by Conference convener Dr. Sugandha Sahni.

Amity School of Fashion Technology under Amity Directorate of Applied Arts/ Fine Arts/ Performing Arts & Visual Arts organized the 4th online National Conference on Fashion Apparel & Textile 2020 (NCFAT ’20) on 14th Oct, 2020 at Amity University, Noida. The conference theme was “Fashion & Textile Industry 4.0 - Opportunities & Challenges for Education 4.0”which brought together industry persons, academician and researchers over a discussion on the Fashion and Textile Industry 4.0.

The Virtual conference witnessed very eminent invitee speakers from different sectors of apparel and textile industry India and countries like USA, Vietnam, Singapore and Bangladesh and more than thirty faculty and research scholars of various reputed national and international institutes like NIFT Delhi, NIFT Chennai, NIFT Patna, MIT Pune, Lady Irwin College Delhi University, BPS Sonipat, Whistling Woods International, Mumbai and Sharda University, Noida. The Conference was attended by more than 800 attendees.

Prof. (Dr.) Pradeep Joshi, Director General, Amity Directorate of Applied Arts, Fine Arts, Performing Arts & Visual Arts in his opening remarks emphasized towards Sustainable future and Perspective on Innovations in Fashion & Textiles. Deliberations on Opportunities & Challenges for Education 4.0 is one of key objectives of conference.

Prof. (Dr.) Balvinder Shukla, Vice Chancellor Amity University, Noida graced the Conference of NCFAT’20 and highlighted how the Education 4.0 can substantially redefine the way in which designers and companies work and respond to the changing needs of the market and consumers, in line with the requirements of Industry 4.0.

Theme session, “Fashion & Textile Industry 4.0- Opportunities & Challenges for Education 4.0”, consist of speakers from different sectors of Industry. Mr. Ram Sareen, Chairman and Founder Tukatech Los Angeles, CA U.S.A emphasised on the importance of digitisation, automation in Garment Industry, Shri Vijay Mathur, Executive Director, Apparel Training and Design Center talked about the immense opportunities in Industy 4.0 and Dr. Rajesh Bheda, Managing Director, Rajesh Bheda Consulting India talked about GOI initiatives for adoption of technology Areas where intervention of Industry 4.0, like big data , IOT, 3D printing, AR, AI in the fashion industry and Application of Industry 4.0 in production analysis and Industry 4.0 and how the technology can be utilised fullest. Mr. Kazi Iftequer Hossain, President, Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association talked about India and Bangladesh with large population must also look at how the human resource needs to be reskilled in the advent of Industry 4.0 Dr. Rajkishore Nayak from RMIT University, Vietnam highlighted the use of New Technologies ; CAD systems; 3D scanning(full body), foot and leg scanning. Ms Anupama Singal, Fashion & Tech Entrepreneur / Co-Founder SLICeR , Singapore discussed about Consumer Evolving needs /mindsets/behaviours and change in buying channels and social influences.

Technical session I “Fashion and Textiles: Education 4.0 & Industry 4.0” with Key note speakers Mr Venky Nagan, Group CEO of Asmara International Ltd, Hong Kong and Mr Anupam Biswas, AVP- Design Edhardy and Flying Machine at Arvind Limited. It was followed by eight research papers of speakers from academia who presented their research in areas like Perspectives and the Role of Emerging Technologies in Fashion and Textile Education, Impulse buying behavior, Artificial Intellegence etc.

Technical session II, “Fashion and Textiles : An Approach towards Sustainable future”, was chaired by Dr Surinder Tandon, International Textile Consultant, Textile Scientist Textile Product & Technology Innovation Manager (Christchurch, New Zealand) and Ms Pami Kular- Group Head of Sustainability, Continuous Improvement at CIEL Textile, Mauritius. Research papers in areas of Sustainable approach towards future, Opportunities in Khadi Sector and Evaluating Sustainable Practices & Economic Viability of a Small-Scale Indian Fashion Business.

Technical session III “Fashion and Textiles: Perspective on Innovations” was chaired by Mr Anand Bhushan, Fashion Designer Label- Anand Bhushan And Mr Pratyush Nawani- Director, Technical Consulting, Excel Global. In this session, seven research papers focusing on innovation in fashion and textiles. Clothing Fit of Ready to Wear Apparels amongst Transwomen, Smart Textile and Foot Ergonomics for Athletic Shoe were presented.

Poster Presentation was done by nine researchers on various topics like Consumer's Attitude Towards Sustainable Fashion, Fit Perceptions and Satisfaction with online purchased Garment, Repositioning Indian craft in the New Normal and The Barriers to Sustainable Fashion Consumption were presented by students and research scholars of various institutes.

Ms. Divya Chauhan, Chairperson, Amity School of Fashion Technology, Amity School of Fine Arts & Amity School of Performing Arts graced the occasion with her benign presence. She acknowledged the importance of research in academics.

The conference concluded with Vote of Thanks by Conference Convener Dr. Sugandha Sahni.

Amity School of Fashion Technology under Amity Directorate of Applied Arts/ Fine Arts/ Performing Arts & Visual Arts organized the 3rd National Conference on Fashion Apparel & Textile 2018 (NCFAT ’18) on 27th March, 2018 at Amity University, Noida. The conference theme was ““Innovation & Entrepreneurship: A path for growth of Fashion & Textile Industry” which brought together industry persons, academician and researchers over a discussion on the role of innovation and entrepreneurship for growth of fashion and textile sector.

The conference got a very good response with participation of thirteen eminent invitee speakers from different sectors of apparel and textile industry and more than thirty faculty and research scholars of various reputed national and international institutes like NIFT Bhopal, NIFT Bhubaneswar, NIFT Patna, Pearl Academy New Delhi, Pearl Mumbai, Institute of Home Economics New Delhi, Lady Irwin College Delhi University, NITRA Ghaziabad and TIT&S Bhiwani.

Prof. (Dr.) Pradeep Joshi, Director General, Amity Directorate of Applied Arts, Fine Arts, Performing Arts & Visual Arts in his opening remarks emphasized the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in the area of fashion apparel and textiles.

Theme session, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, consist of speakers from different sectors of Industry. Mr Anil Peshawari , Vice President, Noida Apparel Export Cluster and Mr. Lalit Thukral, Founder and Head, Maharana of India highlighted the significance of new manufacturing technologies and entrepreneurial skills for sector growth. Mr. R. C Kesar, Director General, OGTC discussed the current challenges and opportunities of apparel industry He emphasised on the importance of digitisation, automation and robotics on way forward to smart factory. Ms. Pallavi Mohan, Fashion Designer, talked about the concept of green factory and future of innovative yet sustainable fashion. Mr. Sunil Arora, Managing Director, Impulse discussed the challenges ahead of a budding entrepreneur in the field of fashion and textile. Prof. (Dr.) S K Jain, Ex-VC, SMVD University, Katra (J&K), Professor & Ex- Head, Dept. of Management Studies, IIT Delhi, put focus on the fundamental Rule of successful innovation & opportunity identification for entrepreneurship. He talked about various textile innovations with applications in the field of medical, sports and space. Mr. Jayant Kochar, Curator unBox Retail, Ex Founder-MD Lacoste India, Founder–Barista, discussed key factors for success in fashion retail.

Technical session I “Innovation in fashion design for sustainable growth” was chaired by Dr. Kusum Chopra, Ex-Professor & Chairperson (F.D.), NIFT, Delhi. The session started with talk by invited industry speaker Ms. Kamal Kapur, Owner, Achievers consulting, Ex president Pearl global, Modelama exports, Mona designs. She stressed upon the combination of Entrepreneurship and innovation. Other invited speaker, Mr. Priyam Narayan, Founder Priyam Narayan Designs discussed the eminence of entrepreneurial skills for a fashion designer. It has been followed by six research papers of speakers from academia who presented their research in areas like adaptive garment for innovative fashion, virtual fashion, dyeing of silk with reactive dyes, dyeing of polyester with natural dyes etc.

Technical session II, “Product diversification as growth catalyst”, was chaired by Mr. Vijay Mathur, Ex-Additional Secretary General, AEPC. Research papers in areas of innovative fibers for active sports, revival of craft, bollywood fashion and sustainable textiles were presented by spekers from TIT&S Bhiwani, Pearl acdemy, satyam fashion institute and lady Irwin college.

Technical session III “Recent developments for technological and digital up gradation” was chaired by Prof. (Dr.) K. N. Chattergee, Professor, Head of Department of Fashion and Apparel eng., TIT&S, Bhiwani. In this session, six research papers focusing on digitisation and impact of CAD on fashion industry, technology driven education, work wear for cement workers and smart sport clothing were presented.

Eleven research posters on various topics like India’s Craft: Abundant source for Fashion Industry, Visual Merchandising: A Strategic Tool for Fashion Retailers, Challenges Faced by Indian Startups and Entrepreneurs, Neural Network Model, Experience Merchandising, Skill Development, An Empirical Analysis of Visual Merchandising and its influence on Impulse Buying, Functional footwear for active sports were presented by faculty and research scholars of various institutes.

Ms. Divya Chauhan, Chairperson, Amity School of Fashion Technology, Amity School of Fine Arts & Amity School of Performing Arts graced the occasion with her benign presence. She acknowledged the importance of research in academics.

The conference concluded with Vote of Thanks by Conference convener Dr. Manpreet Manshahia.

Amity School of Fashion Technology under Amity Directorate of Applied Arts/ Fine Arts/ Performing Arts & Visual Arts organised the 2nd National Conference on Fashion Apparel & Textile 2017 (NCFAT ’17) on 29th March, 2017 at Amity University, Noida. The conference theme was “Sustainable to Innovative Fashion and Textile: Road to success” which aimed to provide the premier interdisciplinary forum to present and discuss the importance of being sustainable and innovative for success and growth in the field of fashion apparel & textile. The conference got a very good response with participation of more than thirty faculty and research scholars of various reputed national and international institutes i.e. BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology Bangladesh, NIFT Raebareli, Baroda University Gujarat, Pearl Academy New Delhi, Institute of Home Economics New Delhi, Lady Irwin college Delhi University, TIT& Bhiwani etc.

Prof. (Dr.) Pradeep Joshi, Director General, Amity Directorate of Applied Arts, Fine Arts, Performing Arts & Visual Arts in his opening remarks emphasized the role of innovation and sustainability in the area of fashion apparel and textiles. As per Dr. Pradeep Joshi, with thrust on “Make in India” by current Government; Apparel & Textile sector has lot of opportunity but ‘innovation is the only key to sustain and grow’ in today’s textile economy. He has also highlighted research initiatives being taken by Amity Directorate of Applied Arts/ Fine Arts/ Performing Arts & Visual Arts, Amity University in last 2 years.

Technical session I, (R)evolution of fashion design, discussed various radical innovation in fashion design for growth and sustainability. This session was chaired by Dr. Kusum Chopra, Ex-Professor & Chairperson (F.D.), NIFT, Delhi. The session started with talk by invited industry speaker Ms. Payal Kapoor. She emphasized the use of novel and eco-friendly techniques in fashion industry. It has been followed by research paper of Md. Ariful Islam from BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology, Bangladesh. He highlighted the importance of tradition in up cycling of fashion apparels. Dr. Vidya Rekesh from NIFT Raebareli discussed the new method for categorisation of Indian female population in different figure types for ready-to-wear garment industry. Ms. Vasundhara, from Institute of Home economic Delhi, presented an exploratory study of interrelation of identity formation and clothing preferences amongst college going girls. Ms. Ashima from Apeejay Stya University and Ms. Mitali Shah from University of Baroda. emphasized the importance of recycled clothing. Ms. Radhika from Pearl academy Delhi discussed the avenues of 3D printing in wearable technology.

Technical session II, “Innovation in marketing and merchandising and skill development in textile and apparel sector”, was chaired by Ms. Kamal Kapoor, Owner, Achievers consulting, Ex president pearl global, Modelama exports, Mona designs. Ms. Shalini Gupta and Ms. Neha Dimri from Pearl Academy Delhi presents their papers on innovative and sustainable marketing techniques for fashion consumer. Ms. Shweta Saini from FDDI presented an empirical study on purchase intension for sustainable apparel. A Practical training module for employment of disable persons in Indian garment industry has been discussed by Dr. Manpreet Chahal from Lady Irwin College.

Prof. (Dr.) V. K. Kothari, Professor IIT Delhi chaired the technical session III “Innovative technologies in textile and garment sector”. He also discussed various innovations in textiles for technical applications. Number of research papers focusing on innovative products and technologies like UV protection by nano technogy, fancy yarns, CIM in apparel industry and chromic textiles were presented by faculty of IICT Badhoi, TIT&S Bhiwani, NGF College, Palwal and PIET, Panipat.

The fourth and final technical session “Sustainable textiles” was chaired by Dr. K. N. Chatterjee, Associate Professor, TIT&S Bhiwani, who also presented his study on environmental issues and sustainable trends in denim industry. The session focused on various sustainable materials and practices in fashion and textile industry. Ms. Sharmin Shaukat from BGMEA University of fashion and technology, Bangladesh presented her paper on vegetable dyes to traditional wear. Eco-friendly process of Namda textile was discussed by Dr. Madhu Sharan from University of Baroda. Dr. Harshita Chaudhary from Institute of Home Economics Delhi presented her research on sericin based polyester and Ms. Shardha Nautiyal from Pearl Academy discussed the anti microbial properties of naturally dyed cotton.

Nine research posters on various topics like sustainable route for finishing, textile recycling, conductive textiles, refashioning apparel waste, importance of textile skill education, entrepreneurship abilities of training and production of stitched products, impact of visual merchandising on customer buying behavior, innovative design option for sustainability, sustainable textiles were presented by faculty and research scholars of various institutes.

Students of graduating batch of Textile design and Fashion technology of ASFT, presented their research work in form of posters on various topics, like integrated printing; natural dye; up-cycling textile waste; improving work flow in apparel industry; health and safety standard in apparel industry.

Ms. Divya Chauhan, Chairperson, Amity School of Fashion Technology, Amity School of Fine Arts & Amity School of Performing Arts graced the occasion with her benign presence. She acknowledged the importance of research in academics and felicitated the poster and paper presenters with gifts and mementos.

The conference concluded with Vote of Thanks by Conference convener Dr. Manpreet Manshahia.

Amity Directorate of Applied Arts/ Fine Arts/ Performing Arts & Visual Arts organised the National Conference on Fashion Apparel & Textile 2016 (NCFAT ’16). This mega event organized on Friday the 4th March, 2016, witnessed the leading industry persons and faculty members from reputed institutes descending from different parts of the country at Amity University, Noida.

THEME SESSION

Prof. (Dr.) Pradeep Joshi, Director General, Amity Directorate of Applied Arts, Fine Arts, Performing Arts & Visual Arts in his opening remarks provided the outline of the theme of the Conference “Innovation for Excellence.” He highlighted the importance of Apparel & Textile Sector in Indian economy. He mentioned that the Textile Sector contributes 14% to Industrial production and 4% to GDP and is the 2nd largest employment generator contributing 13% in total exports. India has a natural advantage in raw materials like cotton, silk, cellulosic fibre and easy availability of skilled labour. The strong base of varied traditional design, colour and embroidery provides key advantage to Indian textile & apparel Industry. Although with the thrust on “Make in India” this sector has lot of opportunity, but 'innovation” is the key to sustain and grow in today's global competitive textile economy. Prof. (Dr.) Joshi stressed upon the importance of innovation in all areas including material, fashion, design, technology and management of fashion & apparel industry.

The audience then witnessed eminent educationist Prof. (Dr.) S.M. Ishtiaque, Professor, IIT Delhi and Executive Director, IITRA speaking on the topic of SIT (Smart Interactive Textiles). During his interactive session, Prof. Ishtiaque dwelled at length on the importance of textiles and the areas of collaborative Research & Development. He mentioned the technological progress in the area of manufactured fibres and the resulting product surpassing the natural fibres in many aspects.

This was followed by the address of Mr. Vijay Mathur, Additional Secretary General, AEPC, who emphasized the need for innovation in today’s fashion industry. He quoted cases of market leaders who lost their coveted positions as they could not innovate. He also gave examples of some futuristic innovations by displaying the examples of some design award finalists and winners in the field of fashion. He summed up his presentation with KSF (Key Success Factors) in Garments.

Ms. Madhu S. Dutta, Head Marketing-Lifestyle Business, Raymond Ltd. spoke on the topic of “Paradigm Shift in Fashion Retail & Marketing.” She mentioned with the case study of Raymond, as to how Marketing has changed in the digital age and what will be the future of retail in 2020. As part of her audio visual presentation, she mentioned the changes which have taken place in the last few years and how they have impacted the spread of retail and marketing in the country.

The eminent Fashion Designer, Ms. Varija Bajaj, stressed the need for innovation to survive the recessionary trends in the Fashion Industry. She narrated as to how her designer label ventured into the marriage segment and made a mark when the competitors were trying to cope with the economic slump in 2007-08. As part of her presentation, she encouraged the students to think in terms of entrepreneurship as a viable option, with their feet firmly on the ground, rather than only dreaming big.

Mr. Samir Sahni, Director, JDS Apparels Private Limited, the company behind Big Life Ritu Wears then addressed the gathering and narrated as to how the fashion brands have survived the emergence of shopping malls. He also expressed confidence that with the help of innovative thinking, the brands will be able to fight the online retailers’ price wars.

Mr. Baqar Naqvi, Business Director, Wazir Advisors Pvt. Ltd. concluded the Theme Session by emphasizing the importance of innovative thinking from the point of view of a consulting organization, which needs to devise ever-new strategies to continue going from strength to strength in today’s competitive world.

TECHNICAL SESSION-I

After the Theme Session, the stage was set for faculty members from reputed institutes to present academic papers on relevant topics. The first technical session titled “Innovation in material & evolving technologies for new age apparel” was chaired by Prof. (Dr.) S.M. Ishtiaque, Professor, IIT Delhi and Executive Director, IITRA. This session saw the participation of faculty members from TIT&S, Bhiwani; Lady Irwin College, Delhi; Panipat Institute of Engineering & Technology, BPS Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Sonepat.

Mr. Saumen Bhattacharya from The Technological Institute of Textile & Sciences (TIT&S), Bhiwani presented the academic paper titled “Assessment of Heat and Moisture Management Properties of Clothing Material.” Mr. Saumen Bhattacharya spoke on the importance of fabric testing, both to the fashion industry as well as the consumers and role of assessment of water vapour, moisture and heat transmission through textile materials.

Ms. Madhuri Nigam from Lady Irwin College, Delhi spoke on the topic of “Environmental Impact Assessment of Textiles-Way to Sustainability.” Her paper aimed at developing an insight into the environmental burden of the life cycle of various textile products from a “Cradle to Gate” perspective. The paper had used the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) approach to examine the key environment impact categories.

Mr. Subhashish Pal (Panipat Institute of Engineering & Technology, Panipat, Haryana) presented the academic paper on “Impact of Colour Emotions on Textile Application.” He dwelled at length on the topic of the emotional effect that colour can have on us and how by the change of colour a material may be soothing or irritating, cheering or depressing, charming or boring and welcoming or repelling.

TECHNICAL SESSION-II

The second technical session was chaired by Dr. Kusum Chopra, Ex-Professor & Chairperson (F.D.), NIFT, Delhi. This session was titled “Innovation in Design as Key Differentiator in Fashion Business” and had academic papers presented by faculty members from esteemed institutes like TIT&S, Bhiwani; Banasthali University, Rajasthan; State University of Performing & Visual Arts, Rohtak.

Dr. K.N. Chatterjee (TIT&S, Bhiwani) presented the paper on “Innovative Use of Sundries for Designing of Expandable Garments.” The paper covered the areas of designing and developing expandable garments by the use of different sundries which are not only comfortable and reusable but at the same time aesthetically appealing and cost effective.

This was followed by Ms. Neeraj Rawat Sharma whose paper “A Unique Style of Printing-Mendh Printing of Rajasthan”, detailed the threat faced by Mendh, the traditional art form from industrialization and the efforts made in reviving it in Rajasthan.

This was followed by Ms. Niharika Singh from State University of Performing & Visual Arts, Rohtak, whose paper titled “Study of Design Elements in Apparel Product Design and Development” recommended that broader awareness on the materials of design with descriptive and common word should be selected, which may easily represent each concept group and effectively communicate its essence.

TECHNICAL SESSION-III

The third and final technical session titled “Functional & Smart Clothing” was chaired by Dr. Noopur Anand, Professor, NIFT, Delhi. As part of this session, the faculty members who presented the academic papers hailed from well known institutes like Institute of Home Economics, Delhi; NITRA, Ghaziabad; Banasthali University, Rajasthan and Panjab University.

Ms. Tulika Talwar presented her academic paper “Antibacterial Activity of Nano Silver Manufactured by Green Synthesis in Wound Healing.” The paper emphasized as to how silver nanoparticles could be synthesized using tulsi and then could be used for wound healing.

This was followed by Ms. Nidhi Sisodia from NITRA, Ghaziabad, who presented the paper “Need for Innovative Work Wear for Electroplating Workers”. The paper shared the results of a survey conducted in various units located at Faridabad about the process of electroplating and the use of protective clothing by the employees working in these units. “Ayurvastra-Modern Approach to Maintain Good Health” was the next paper. Presented by Shweta Sharma (Banasthali University, Rajasthan), this paper explored the concept of Ayurvastra, the medical dress, which is free from chemicals and does not harm human body. These herbal garments provide coolness to the body as well as save it from the side effects of various finishes and dyes, available in the market.

The last presentation was by Ms. Charu Chopra from Panjab University, who presented a paper on “Application of Anti-microbial Finish on Cotton for reusable Baby Diapers.” This paper stressed on the ill effects of disposable diapers, as the same take 500 years to decompose forming a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria. Besides being expensive and harming environment, they also cause “diaper rash” and are harmful to baby’s skin. This study has made an attempt to apply antimicrobial finish on cotton fabric for use as baby diapers which are washable and reusable resulting in a more environment friendly and healthy practice.

POSTER EXHIBITION

During NCFAT ’16, a poster exhibition of selected research papers was also organized where faculty members from Institute of Home Economics, Lady Irwin College and Banasthali University, Rajasthan showcased the posters on various topics like “Treatment of wound through textile based product”, “Hand Spinning”, “Physical Principles in Clothing Comfort” etc. The faculty members also interacted with the audience for a beneficial exchange of ideas.

As all good things come to an end, the conference concluded with Vote of Thanks.

This one-day conference was well attended by industry, press, academia and students.

Ms. Divya Chauhan, Chairperson, Amity School of Fashion Technology, Amity School of Fine Arts & Amity School of Performing Arts graced the occasion with her benign presence, encouraged the faculty members and students of ASFT and felicitated the honorable speakers with gifts and mementos.