A unique BIT-NZ Fashion Tech joint venture
The Bannari Amman Institute of Technology (BIT) at Sathyamangalam is entering into a collaborative teaching-learning venture with the New Zealand Institute of Fashion Technology (NZ Fashion Tech), an accredited institution run by the NZ Qualifications Authority (NZQA) in the field of fashion, garments and accessories manufacturing. The MoU signed by the two parties would help attain the common objective of sharing the resources across these two institutions for enhancing the teaching-learning process and employability of their students.
After reaching the Best Institution status, NZ Fashion Tech has expanded its wing to India through the Brooker Foundation, an independent education development service provider of New Zealand. NZ Fashion Tech was founded in 1995 by the directors Kevin Smith and Val Marshall-Smith, who both have over 35 years of experience in the fashion, garment technology and training industries.
A total of 45 fashion technology students in New Zealand were given the challenge of taking the hand-woven silk saris with their lustrous colours and vibrant patterns produced in the villages near Sathyamangalam and recreating them into high-fashion garments in a Western context. The garments created by the winners of the competition will be highlighted on the opening day of New Zealand’s Fashion Week scheduled at the end of August.
Val Marshall-Smith, Academic Director at NZ Fashion Tech, says: “Colour in fashion is about having confidence in our choices, being able to express ourselves creatively in a truly individual way and not being afraid to show who we really are. We’re delighted that this project boldly brings colour back onto fashion’s centre-stage.”
Kevin Smith, Managing Director of NZ Fashion Tech, observes: “The students responded well to the brief. They were asked (hypothetically) to dress Cate Blanchett for a summer luncheon in Monte Carlo. Technical excellence was paramount, the timeline was tight, and the stakes were high: Who would show at Fashion Week? Who would catch the eye of editors? And ultimately: Who would travel to India as the winners?”
The project caught the eye of the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key who offered scholarships to 15 students from NF Fashion Tech to fund their visit to the Bannari Amman Institute of Technology. The Institute which offers B.Tech degrees in Textile Technology and Fashion Technology, accredited by NBA for five years, has become an obvious choice to Kevin Smith to pursue his long-cherished dream of expanding the operation offshore. Having interacted with many foreign educational institutions, BIT has added one more off-shore reputed institution to its list, especially in the field of textile and fashion.
After visiting BIT many times to understand the facilities, faculty expertise, health and safety-related issues, Brooker has facilitated the finalisation of the collaboration between BIT and NZ Fashion Tech. Brooker and Smith are happy today for getting the recognition and financial support from the New Zealand Government for this programme. Already the media in New Zealand has started giving publicity in a large way to this cross-country programme.
Students from NZ Fashion Tech are expected to visit and stay at BIT for five weeks to understand the teaching methodology, intricacies involved in the mass production of textiles, garments, accessories and the value systems. The top 15 students will then have the chance to visit the sari weavers in Doddampalayam during their educational experience. Both the agencies have carefully worked out a curriculum that would enable the students to explore and appreciate the new culture in the home town, access courses with different perspectives and experience the personal growth with new dimension by becoming more independent and resourceful in their home town.
A grand fashion show is expected to be arranged jointly by BIT and NZ Fashion Tech in December next, which undoubtedly would attract many eminent fashion designers and manufacturers across the country.
BIT and Giles Brooker have forged a long-term relationship through this initiative. This is expected to expand their relationship in every possible avenue. Prabha Govindasamy, an immigrant from India who is Managing Director of the Brooker Foundation, is confident of expanding the services to the society at large, as the ‘giving back to India’.
Giles has over 40 years’ experience in tertiary education both in teaching and administration (Auckland Institute of Technology, University of Auckland) and government agencies (Ministry of Education, New Zealand Qualifications Authority, National Council for Vocational Qualifications (UK), Qualifications and the Curriculum Authority (UK)).
Giles Brooker says: “Fashion and technology provide a wonderful opportunity for India and New Zealand to develop collaborations based on their complementary strengths. I think this collaboration is most beneficial for both New Zealand and India. I believe there will be mutual benefits across tourism awareness, community engagement, design, manufacturing, trade and education. The programme will showcase how bold the Indians are with their colour and pattern combinations, and it will present New Zealand as an exciting, creative, innovative place for fashion and design.”
Both BIT and NZ Fashion Tech see the collaboration growing in many directions to include new programmes and collaborative research. Both see many opportunities for spin-off developments of benefit to the industry both in India and New Zealand.
For BIT, this MoU is expected to provide an edge over other colleges located in this part of the country by providing a unique opportunity to the students of textile and fashion technology to interact with the students of New Zealand and a similar experience in off-shore also.
This is the first time the small village of Sathyamangalam is going to receive the students from New Zealand. The objective of S.V. Balasubramaniam, BIT Chairman, to provide holistic learning experience to the students and setting unparalleled educational standards is being attained by many steps being taken by the Institute in recent years.
The programme has been developed by BIT in collaboration with NZ Fashion Tech (NZFT) and Giles Brooker Education Development Services Pvt. Ltd. (GBE).