Smt. Jyotsna Dalal, the dynamic leader of JD Institute of Fashion Technology, has always been greatly fond of and traditional towards India’s rich handloom tradition and handicrafts. Her dedication towards preserving these beautiful aspects of Indian culture is reflected in her personal preferences as well as in the way she has shaped the curriculum at JD Institute.
Smt. Dalal, is a fashion icon with exquisite taste and is spotted dressing herself in stunning handloom sarees, tastefully capturing the art form and skill of the local weavers. She has a treasure house of exquisite handloom sarees so beautiful that they narrate a tale in the time-tested tradition and culture, and the inherited skilled craftsmanship they carry with them. Her love for handicraft and handlooms is a dedication towards conserving India’s heritage.
Promoting Handicrafts through Workshops
Smt. Dalal, has organized and conducted several student workshops and programs to interact with the handloom industry and understand why traditional skills should be saved. The aim is to bring to the knowledge of students the nuances of Indian handicrafts. The intent is to bring before students the richness and variety of Indian handicrafts and to make them familiar with how artisans work.
Smt. Dalal is a firm believer in learning by experience and she makes sure that the students learn these Indian crafts through workshops. Not only does this enable students to acquire practical knowledge, but it also ensures the preservation of our ancient knowledge to generations to come. With these workshops, Smt. Dalal aims to bring more awareness of the struggle of traditional artisans, who are not able to draw attention to their work in the fast-paced process of modernization. She has taken the initiative to give voice to artisans and enable them to pass on their skills and know-how to an increasingly disconnected generation that is even more removed from these old traditions.
By incorporating handicraft and handloom workshops as part of JD Institute‘s course curriculum, she has ensured that students do not only learn how to design but also get an enhanced knowledge about the socio-economic importance of handloom industries. She believes that students learning Indian handicraft can play a very important role in keeping such industries alive, adding new ideas, new designs, and most crucially, a global platform for these crafts to flourish.
Smt. Dalal’s philosophy does not stop at design education but goes as far as to believe in giving students an environment in which they can feel nurtured in every aspect of their life, from career goals in the professional world to well-being as human beings. She loves India’s handloom tradition and handicraft, and wants to protect, preserve, and transfer these fine traditions. Through her direction, she has created a platform where students can learn about India’s rich cultural heritage, discover from master craftsmen, and value the worth of craftsmanship today. Her vision for the future is to have design education not only as a tool for acquiring technical skills but also as a process of discovering one’s true voice and employing it to make the world a better place.
