Denimsandjeans has consistently emphasized the importance of education in the textile industry, particularly in the realm of indigo. The Indenium School of Responsible Design- the only Denim, Indigo & Sustainability focused school with a curriculum spanning the entire supply chain from seed to store – participated in the 6th edition of the exhibition, showcasing a unique fusion of natural indigo developments and research. The school’s objective is to bridge the gap between the rapidly evolving denim and street fashion industries, which demand innovative and sustainable textiles, apparel, branding, presentation, and communication. Founded by Sukhraj Singh, the institution aims to empower designers to become visionaries and product development specialists who are passionate about their work. We recently had the opportunity to interview Mr. Singh and gain valuable insights into the school’s initiatives.
What was the purpose of setting up the Indenium School when there are so many fashion colleges in India?
The fact that there are so many fashion colleges and yet none have included in their curriculums the vast universe of denim; the most loved fashion product globally. And because it is the most polluting part of the fashion industry, it is a benchmark in learning about areas to improve towards sustainability. Design education has become redundant in view of the expanse of the denim lifestyle industry and cannot address the social and ecological crisis created by the fast fashion industry in the present time. Indenium exceptionally enables a deep understanding of sustainability from ground zero and inculcates responsibility in the design realisation practice.
Indenium School of Responsible Design is built on some foundational principles.
- Responsibility and a value system as work ethics
- Simplicity in processes through awareness of the source and supply chain to enable sustainable design development
- Creative expression, innovation & functionality in a long lasting product
- Community building via collaborations and enabling entrepreneurship
How is your curriculum different from other similar schools?
Indenium is the only school in the world addressing Responsible Design through focus on denim, natural indigo & sustainability. Our curriculum helps one explore the full supply and manufacturing chain from a soil-to-soil lifeline approach; learning about natural fibres and dyes from seed-to-crop, deep rooted knowledge of natural indigo, product design & development from both handmade and industry-made domains, brand building, user experience, all the way to the end-of-life of the product when it returns to the soil. We help understand sustainability by first acknowledging the roots of the problems in large scale manufacturing of fast fashion, the lack of concern for people and environment in the industry and the evident environmental crisis, and then address the voids through a revised approach. We are also committed to birthing entrepreneurs and startups by providing brand building inputs along with design learning. We are currently building an incubation centre and nurturing support system for them in the marketplace. Our curriculum focuses on the individual to enable their strengths to become their USPs in their careers.
Since you do not insist on a particular background in fashion or textiles, how do you ensure that your students are ready to contribute to the industry with your course .
At Indenium, we instil sensibilities based on awareness of the supply chain, raw material, processes and communities involved keeping the focus on environment and people. Our teams develop specialisations by doing, executing creative ideas diligently, which brings confidence and clear communication. Our entrepreneurs are ready for collaborative projects with the industry to develop required products via innovative intervention at all stages, whether it is to develop yarns in sustainable natural fibres, natural dyeing, weaving or building a collection of responsibly designed products.
You have completed 3 batches till now . How are Indeniumites doing till now in terms of their work, creative contributions to the industry etc.
Out of the three small batch teams so far, eight of them have built their signature brands addressing sustainability and wellness, which have received tremendous appreciation from mentors, professionals as well as customers. Four of these D2C brands have started making active sales. Five of our designers are contributing to the product design and development at Wrangler, Korra (BSC), a start-up and offering B2B services. Three of our team members are building community projects in indigo farming, upcycling textile waste and a seed-to-store brand. Those in the present batch are laying the foundations of their studios with unique concepts. All the participants of four learning teams are active members of the Indenium community, offering their specialisations to each other and building a transparent supply chain.
When is your next batch starting and what are the plans for this year? Do you want to add more elements to your course this year?
Admissions for the 5th batch (2024-25) are ongoing and the course is scheduled to begin on 02 August. We keep the batch sizes small (10-12) to ensure the learning experience is impactful to each individual. Scholarships are available in the fields of industrial, artisanal and art domains.
We have great supportive associations with Arvind, Indigo Art Museum, Jeanologia, LLDC Shrujan and many aspirational brands from the handmade sector, all of which compliment the guidance provided by our experienced mentors. In the immediate future, we are building our own marketplace platform to support the brands and studios of the Indenium community. We are also positively working on enabling incubation of our entrepreneurs with the help of industry and the Govt. of India.
Who is the right person to be a student at your school?
We encourage those who truly seek to make a difference irrespective of their background, since the course enables deep understanding and learning from grass root level. Everyone is eligible who
- feels strongly towards addressing the fashion crisis
- has passion for natural dyes and fibres
- wants to explore slow & responsible fashion
- wants to rewrite the underlying expression of cultural clothing
- wants to initiate a change in their existing business/brand
- wants to build their own ethical and sustainable signature brand
For more details contact – Sukhraj Singh , Founder – sukhraj@indenium.in
