Pearl Academy B.Des Review By Shraddha Gendepujari

One thing that many people don't know is that Pearl is an academy and not a college. It's an academy where we keep moving ahead as theory is relatively less. It's more of a research and development thing. As a Pearlite, I am thankful I have got this opportunity to tell my side of the story of this beautiful academy that has made me learn and move ahead in life. I was blown away by the academy on the first day itself. The academy was so welcoming, and so were the management and the staff. The academy emphasizes innovation and originality that you will visualize and think fashion the whole day. I hope my words will help you make up your mind to be a Pearlite if you want to learn what fashion is.

Fashion means one thing: to step out of my comfort zone. This was our primary learning, and everything else surrounded that. Execution of design is the most crucial thing in fashion, and to make sure we execute properly, there were enough mechanisms to turn our ideas and visualization into reality. The academic system was such that it was a group communication and group learning for the first two years. We had to go solo from the third year, and competition was built within. Fashion is a competitive industry, and emotional ones can't relate to this business. So, I have shared the footprints of what academics at Pearl looks like.

The pool of teachers at Pearl academy was a bunch of talented people. The people who know the thick and thin of this industry and what can work in this industry. Their feedbacks were harsh many times while they supported the widest of ideas as they saw potential in it. Garments are into many categories, but lady's fashion is the one that is the biggest grosser, and for that reason, we were asked to choose an area of expertise. In the final year, our expert area was honed by college faculty and industry expert. So, it was hand-in-hand learning as the academy didn't let anything unmoved so that the students didn't have a spine of their own when they stepped out.

If one questions the fees we paid and the kind of placements we were given, that can't be justified. However, the larger picture was that many of our batch mates today have started their own fashion brands, and many of them are doing well. Fashion brands like Kate Spade New York, Being Human, and Reliance Retail have been a partner of Pearl for decades. Presentation during the placement was vital as we were given a fair chance to showcase what we had learned and how we have executed that. Many companies who find it interesting have even offered jobs with 12-15 lakhs while the average came down to 4-5 Lakhs. Also, not all of us were placed because the competition was such that all students couldn't have placements through campus.

It was a nice dormitory where all girls shared the same space. Since the intake is low, the girl's dorm had 24 beds, and it was divided into two rooms. There were four washrooms in the dorm, and 12 girls had to share between them. There was a dining area separate for boys and girls, but the food served was the same. Nutrition was a critical aspect; so many dieticians were consulted before planning the meals. In the fashion industry, there's a saying that what you wear matters, and therefore one has to look fit and fine as the fashion designs that we made has to be done on us first. So, to look fit and fine, we were given food that was not just healthy but tasty as well.

As I have said, this is not a college, so just like an academy; it was an academic building with all the facilities. Common areas, master room (Tailor Room), and demonstration area. Although demonstration was mostly done in the auditorium because lighting effects and all that are available there are as good as any fashion show ramps. All the classes and everything were fully air-conditioned ed. The atmosphere inside the building was always cool, and since winters are extremely chilling here in Noida, the ACs were turned off, and heaters were turned on.

The campus also provided us with international exposure as fashion is one thing that can be taken beyond borders. Some UK and Australian universities have tie-up with Pearl Academy. Some students were exchanged between both the universities, but the cost was such that I had to deny that. The fests and events of Pearl are always entertaining as many fashion stalwarts attend our fashion show, and the students of Pearl are good enough to impress even the stalwarts of the industry.