Department of Textile/Surface, Home Fashion and Accessory Design

Textiles have been an important part of the social and economic life of the people of the subcontinent for centuries. Today, textiles have blossomed into a highly advanced industry that contributes the most to the country’s foreign exchange earnings. Modern markets, both foreign and domestic, are always in need of fresh ideas in the form of new textile products to fulfil their ever-increasing requirements.

Gujrat’s strategic location as the hub of the textile industry calls for the need to train a large workforce to fill the existing gap. Laced with modern skills and tools, and awareness about global markets requirements and trends, this brigade of textile surface, home fashion and accessory designers can create original patterns and designs that are used in virtually every segment of the apparel, home fashion and accessory industries.

Textile surface, home fashion and accessory design is the art of changing the appearance of natural and/or synthetic surfaces by the application of traditional, stylised, digitised and/or illusionary techniques to embellish a product. It is also the art of changing the structure of a surface by the application of three-dimensional techniques of weaving, knitting, embroidery, lace, devoré, beading and embossing to enhance a product. The design can dictate the product, as in tabletop items, and the form can dictate the design, as in swimwear silhouettes.

The Department of Textile/Surface, Home Fashion and Accessory Design prepares students for careers in the textile and related industries, including entry level and design track positions in many disciplines and fields. These include wearing apparel, accessories and products (women’s men’s and children’s wear); home furnishing products and decorative designs; paper products and gift ware (both hard and soft products), etc.

Because of the diversity in the textile and related industries, the students can intern at many locations preparing printed, woven, knitted and computer aided design (CAD) for women’s wear apparel, accessories and products; men’s wear apparel, accessories and products; children’s wear apparel, accessories and products; home fashion soft and hard products, such as bed and bath, tabletop products, dinnerware, wall coverings, upholstery, carpet and rug design, lace and embroidery design, fibre arts, gift ware, and paper products; etc.

Textile/Surface, home fashion and accessory designers create original patterns and designs that are used in virtually every segment of the apparel, home fashion and related industries. Exploring new artistic and technological possibilities for all types of surfaces and fabrics, the textile/surface/accessory designer works in apparel fabrics, such as prints, woven designs and knits; home fashion designs, such as upholstery fabric, wall coverings, drapery, beddings/linens, kitchen bath accessories, tile design, carpets and wall hangings; and product design, such as china, glassware, flatware, paper products, greeting cards and gift wrap.

More than ever before, the accessories market is being recognised as a vital and extremely lucrative part of the fashion industry, where even top-name designers have ventured with outstanding success. This has created a greater need for trained professionals skilled in accessories design and production. SAD caters to this need by offering the country’s only combined degree programme in textile/surface, home fashion and accessory design.