IVS graduates to showcase designs at global textile fair
The three girls were chosen to participate at Heimtextil 2020 through a competition
Hiba Saqib, Insia Amir and Umm-e-Sufa Amin, recent graduates from IVS, will be displaying their creativity at the world’s largest textiles fair next month. PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Three graduates from the Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture (IVS) will be displaying their innovative work at Heimtextil 2020, the world's largest textile fair, being held in Germany next month.
Using spices, recycled flowers and recycled plastics for their designs, Hiba Saqib, Insia Amir and Umm-e-Sufa Amin were selected after participating in the global New and Next University competition. The competition featured ideas for future trends in the textile country with over 50 contestants from 18 design institutes and universities around the world. Saqib's work was ranked among the top three projects.
This is the first time that Pakistani students will be displaying their skills at the global trade fair, along with work by students from two universities in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. Members of the jury, comprising experts in textiles, said that the creations of these students were not only innovative, but also offered the best use of traditional skills and natural ingredients.
The designs will be presented at a special hall at the 50th Heimtextil fair in Frankfurt from January 7 to January 10, 2020.
Taking the global stage
Proud of her students' achievement, Imrana Shahryar, the head of the textile design department at IVS, said that it was a historic occasion for Pakistan that the creativity of its talented youth was being honoured internationally.
Shahryar explained that the school had sent the portfolios of the students, who graduated from the institute on Saturday, to the contests. "They had not even completed their education and their creativity has gained global status," she smiled, adding that it was a matter of great pleasure for them to represent Pakistan on such a prestigious international platform just weeks after their graduation.
"Their success in the competition and their selection for the biggest textile fair in the world is recognition that Pakistan's youth are fully aware of changing global fashion and textile trends, as well as the growing environmental challenges in the textile industry," she maintained.
Shahryar believed that Saqib, Amir and Amin would gain international experience by attending the exhibition, which would help them design textiles in Pakistan according to the standards of international markets and thus aid the country's economy.
Meanwhile, the overjoyed and excited girls told The Express Tribune that they could not be more pleased with the appreciation their projects had received.
Eco-friendly designs
Hiba Saqib, whose project ranked among the top three in the competition, explained that her work was actually a mini-thesis inspired by a small plant she saw growing out of a concrete structure during the recent rainfall. "I tried to create mediums by combining cotton yarn and synthetic fibres, and later on, I used fish wire," she revealed. She used natural spices that are used in daily life, including cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, as well.
Meanwhile, Insia Amir chose a simple mat made of dry palm leaves for her project. "I figured why not create something from a publicly available material that can be used by people of all ages," she said, adding that she decided to use recycled plastic as a thread.
Starting with modern looms at first, she turned to handmade cloth to create a material that can be used for mats, home textile products, bags and other items. Her aims with her design included keeping traditional handicrafts alive as well as reducing pollution through recycling.
Umm-e-Sufa Amin's work is equally unique and innovative. "Seeing large piles of flowers in the trash outside wedding halls, I wondered how best to re-use this natural waste," she explained.
She used eco-printing for her idea, a method that has not yet caught on in Pakistan. Collecting information online and through social media, she figured out how to use the flowers to print designs on fabric. "I started off with all kinds of fabric, including cotton, linen, leather and silk, and then, looking at my results, I chose cotton and leather to create designs with natural colours."
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2019.
Three graduates from the Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture (IVS) will be displaying their innovative work at Heimtextil 2020, the world's largest textile fair, being held in Germany next month.
Using spices, recycled flowers and recycled plastics for their designs, Hiba Saqib, Insia Amir and Umm-e-Sufa Amin were selected after participating in the global New and Next University competition. The competition featured ideas for future trends in the textile country with over 50 contestants from 18 design institutes and universities around the world. Saqib's work was ranked among the top three projects.
This is the first time that Pakistani students will be displaying their skills at the global trade fair, along with work by students from two universities in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. Members of the jury, comprising experts in textiles, said that the creations of these students were not only innovative, but also offered the best use of traditional skills and natural ingredients.
The designs will be presented at a special hall at the 50th Heimtextil fair in Frankfurt from January 7 to January 10, 2020.
Taking the global stage
Proud of her students' achievement, Imrana Shahryar, the head of the textile design department at IVS, said that it was a historic occasion for Pakistan that the creativity of its talented youth was being honoured internationally.
Shahryar explained that the school had sent the portfolios of the students, who graduated from the institute on Saturday, to the contests. "They had not even completed their education and their creativity has gained global status," she smiled, adding that it was a matter of great pleasure for them to represent Pakistan on such a prestigious international platform just weeks after their graduation.
"Their success in the competition and their selection for the biggest textile fair in the world is recognition that Pakistan's youth are fully aware of changing global fashion and textile trends, as well as the growing environmental challenges in the textile industry," she maintained.
Shahryar believed that Saqib, Amir and Amin would gain international experience by attending the exhibition, which would help them design textiles in Pakistan according to the standards of international markets and thus aid the country's economy.
Meanwhile, the overjoyed and excited girls told The Express Tribune that they could not be more pleased with the appreciation their projects had received.
Eco-friendly designs
Hiba Saqib, whose project ranked among the top three in the competition, explained that her work was actually a mini-thesis inspired by a small plant she saw growing out of a concrete structure during the recent rainfall. "I tried to create mediums by combining cotton yarn and synthetic fibres, and later on, I used fish wire," she revealed. She used natural spices that are used in daily life, including cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, as well.
Meanwhile, Insia Amir chose a simple mat made of dry palm leaves for her project. "I figured why not create something from a publicly available material that can be used by people of all ages," she said, adding that she decided to use recycled plastic as a thread.
Starting with modern looms at first, she turned to handmade cloth to create a material that can be used for mats, home textile products, bags and other items. Her aims with her design included keeping traditional handicrafts alive as well as reducing pollution through recycling.
Umm-e-Sufa Amin's work is equally unique and innovative. "Seeing large piles of flowers in the trash outside wedding halls, I wondered how best to re-use this natural waste," she explained.
She used eco-printing for her idea, a method that has not yet caught on in Pakistan. Collecting information online and through social media, she figured out how to use the flowers to print designs on fabric. "I started off with all kinds of fabric, including cotton, linen, leather and silk, and then, looking at my results, I chose cotton and leather to create designs with natural colours."
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2019.