Hemlata Joshi

Textile Design Grad, 2011

Hemlata Joshi graduated last year with a Textile Design degree, and now owns her own company, Sunstar Retail Pvt. Ltd. She was recognized for her talent by renowned trend forecasting company Stylesight, and won third place in their Fall/Winter 2012 Student Prints & Graphics Competition.

Tell us a little about yourself:I earned my Bachelor's in Fashion Design and Technology in New Delhi, India. After that, I worked for three years in the industry obtaining experience in designing and manufacturing women's casual wear for the domestic and export markets. During the process I was seeking to find a way of identifying my designs thoroughly under my label and not picking up pre-designed fabrics and turning them into garments with trims and embellishments. As a result I applied to FIDM for the Textile Design major. During the course I developed a strong interest in prints and found it extremely interesting to understand the mechanism of prints and repeats.

Tell us about the Stylesight contest where you won third place:
I developed 7-8 prints for Stylesight Fall/Winter 2012 for the theme "Digital Dimension." My inspirations were devices, analog circuits, electronic brain structures, and statistical shapes.

What is your response to this recognition by Stylesight? I feel ecstatic. It is encouraging to be recognized for your work by a renowned group such as Stylesight.

Where are you working now? I am working in India under my own company. We design and produce women's casual wear for the export market (South America and Europe) and the domestic market. I gradually aim to incorporate my prints in apparel designs, too.

What is your proudest accomplishment?
1. Being honored by the Young Achievers Award for the state of Rajasthan in India
2. Winning the Stylesight contest
3. Successfully interning with BCBG

What inspires you in your designs? My sources of inspiration are not confined; sometimes I get inspired by things that merely exist and I feel no boundaries to inspiration. The idea for me is to be open to inspirations from any direction.

How did you know FIDM was the right college for you? Before coming to FIDM, I was working on clarifying the direction in which I wanted to take my design ideas. I just knew FIDM was right for me. During the course of the program, my design concepts gradually grew clearer to me, and I became very focused by the end of my studies.

How did you decide on your major? Reading about all of the majors helped me tremendously. After I did my research, I knew which one I needed to apply to.

How do you feel FIDM prepared you for what you're doing now?
FIDM prepared me very well. I appreciate the instruction and advise from all my teachers—I will continue to draw from what I learned at FIDM throughout my career.

Any advice for current FIDM Students? Utilize the resources available at FIDM. You won't get them anywhere else.

What is your biggest goal right now? To be determined and constantly focused on the project I am working on right now, and to do better than my best.

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Would you like to make a career out of your love for design like Hemlata? Find out what you could do with a Textile Design degree from FIDM.