Craze for fashion designing in rural Punjab

Kandhwala (Punjab), Jan 9(ANI): Parminder Kaur, a farmer's daughter from Punjab's Kandhwala village, dreams of becoming a fashion designer and her journey defines the craze for the profession that is growing day by day in the state.

A year ago, Parminder got enrolled in Heights Institute of Fashion and Technology, which came into existence in 1996 and is the only such institute in Abohar town, and has been pursuing a two-year diploma course in Fashion Design and Technology.

Parminder, is now a role model for other village girls and has a bright career ahead of her.

"There is a big demand for fashion in the market these days. It's a glamorous field and the girls are doing well in it. It is very suitable field of work for girls. The parents don't want their daughters to go to other cities for work. Here at Heights we are gaining quality education so that we can have a better life," Parminder said.

Of the 150 students in the institute, a majority are girls who come from Abohar and nearby villages.

'Heights' is the only organization in the country, which provides courses to cater to the educational needs of all age groups in the society.

The students learn fashion, interiors, and textile designing for brighter career prospects.

The institute also offers correspondence courses on interior designing and nursery teacher training.

"The students are able to work as freelance designers after pursuing this course. Big export houses and showrooms are opening up in the cities and they require good designs, so these students are proving to be of great help for them. The village girls are no less creative than the girls in cities," said Amit Azad, Director of Heights Institute of Fashion Designing.

"They make wonderful designs and give better performance than city girls. If the situation remains the same that day is not very far when the village girls will leave the city girls behind," he added.

Every year, the graduating students present their innovative designs including ethnic Indian wear and contemporary clothing.

It's quite a challenge for these budding designers from rural areas to figure out the demands of the market, as they get ready to make a foray into the world of fashion.

And they have a long way to go before they can make their mark. By Avtar Gill(ANI)