There are countless fashion designers in each and every part of the world, but the common element which makes only the handful of designers unique in the industry is undoubtedly their ‘creativity’. Being a fashion designer is not just about holding a thread and needle and developing a design, it requires lots of out-of-the-box thinking, which in long-term helps the designers to create their own niche in the market. Trained over 15,000 creative learners till date, Institute of Design (IOD) is in the mission of introducing the world to a breed of fashion designers that can make it big in the global fashion world. Known as the first and the oldest design institute in Southern India, IOD is ardently focused to synchronize with the ever-demanding creative industry requirements through fostering an education which has been calculatedly prepared to hone the new-generation skills in the future designers.

IOD, however, is the outcome of the modest desire of the Founding Director, N. Nadeem, who envisioned starting an institute, which can quest the creative thrust of the young brains. Commenced in 1993 with only one student, one classroom and one faculty, today the institute has built such a strong reputation has emerged as one of the first preference among the students who have design aspirations. Nadeem shares, “To achieve a brighter career, one needs to be different and stand out. Here at IOD, we provide the right vibe and the right platform to the blooming designers to enhance and nurture the necessary skills.”

The institute presently offers well-designed Certificate and Diploma fashion courses along with other courses in interior design, textile design, fine arts and so on.

“The speciality of our courses is that we teach students from the basic fundamentals and lead them towards all-round development by the end of their respective course tenure. We believe in gifting them with a strong foundation, which later will assist them to survive in the industry,” claims Nadeem. The faculty members of the institute, who are immensely talented and experienced, make it a point to impart industry-based learning by encouraging the students to participate and attain maximum hands-on training. An environment has been created within the campus that boosts the creative instincts of the students and allows them to express their artistic side with complete freedom without any hesitation and barrier. Nadeem adds, “Once students decide to join the IOD family, we take the entire responsibility to felicitate them with a progressive learning space.”

From Being Learner to a Curator


Placed in the heart of Chennai city, IOD renders ample opportunities to the students for exhibiting their works and skills through conducting yearly fashion exhibition and a mock fashion show. “These shows are attended by eminent personalities from the industry and are also covered by the media, which give our students the much-needed exposure,” opines Nadeem. As the Institute targets to churn out global design leaders, it has collaborated with varied National and International organizations, including MoU with Asian and European Institutions, MoU with Dr. M.G.R. Educational And Research Institute, Management Development Institute of Singapore, the University of Business and International Studies Switzerland, to name a few.

“Annually students from all over the globe come to our institute to obtain their design studies. This fosters a multi-cultural environment in the campus and

enables the students to learn a variety of cultures and fashion history of different countries,” pinpoints Nadeem. Owing to the comprehensive portfolio that the students develop with the help of the faculty members, every academic year top-notch design organizations recruits the IOD students. The alumni of IOD that is scattered in all over the country and abroad handle important positions that at times greatly help the ongoing students in getting assistance whether in terms of academics or placement or internship prospects.

Upholding the mantra of ‘be the change for the change’, the institute leaves no stone unturned to ensure that the students are directed towards a fulfilling career route through emphasizing on uplifting the quality of education, providing practical experiences and giving them scopes to showcase their talents. Students of IOD are identified among the crowd of other design graduates as they carry the rich legacy of the institute and its past students who have already made a dignified name in the design industry. “In the next couple of years, we are looking forward to offering franchise of our institute with like-minded education organization and expand via establishing more IOD centers in India, Asia, and Middle East region. We will be opening our new center in Colombo, Sri Lanka, early next year,” concludes Nadeem.

N. Nadeem, Founding Director


A creative and design enthusiast and an avid photographer, Nadeem is a Graduate in English and holds a diploma in Interior Design. He has conducted several creative workshops in various city colleges in Chennai such as in Ethiraj College for Women, WCC, Justice Basheer Ahmed College, Officer’s Training Academy, Chennai and many more. Over the years, he has designed attires for numerous celebrities and styling for advertisement and Southeast Asian feature films. He has also done creative projects for Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, MSME and many more.

Source: thehighereducationreview.com

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