Are Graduate Fashion Shows Still Really Relevant?

Table of contents

• Graduate Fashion Shows: A Showcase or More?
• The Runway Speaks: Stories of Innovation and Identity
• Redefining Graduate Fashion Shows: Narrating the Journey of Garment and Designer

The Indian fashion scene isn’t what it used to be. And that’s a good thing. Gaurav Gupta is dressing Shakira and Katy Perry. Rahul Mishra is redefining couture in Paris with a quiet sense of purpose. Last year, Nancy Tyagi — a self-taught designer from a small town — turned heads on international red carpets with her handmade, hyper-detailed looks stitched from scratch.

The conversation is no longer about catching up with the West. It is shaping towards showing up with a voice that’s unmistakably our own — rooted, experimental and globally resonant. This new wave is the result of years — even decades — of Indian fashion designers pushing against the grain, rewriting what it means to create, belong and be seen.

But in a landscape shaped by viral moments, DIY brands and digital-first storytelling, some of fashion’s legacy formats are quietly being called into question. For instance, the graduate fashion shows. Once the undisputed finale to a fashion education — a dramatic showcase of talent, a ticket to industry attention — they now exist in a world where visibility is more accessible, but also more fragmented.

So, where do they fit in? Do they still matter? Or are they becoming performative relics of a pre-Instagram era?

Graduate Fashion Shows: A Showcase or More?

Speaking of foundations, graduate fashion shows—those glamorous finales to the hard slog of completing fashion design courses—undoubtedly elevate the profile of fashion institutions. But in this age of hyper-connectivity, one must question their continued relevance in propelling aspiring designers into the mainstream fashion consciousness. Are runway shows still the most effective way to cultivate student talent?

The graduate showcase at the Delhi-based independent design school, the Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD), provides a thought-provoking lens on the role of these events. Titled UNFOLD, this in-house annual fashion show and exhibit is always a well-attended affair, attracting industry veterans like FDCI Chairman Sunil Sethi. 

Last year, twenty-two graduating fashion designers presented their unique collections, each showcasing six garments that served as a potent distillation of their individual design style, aesthetic sensibilities and technical expertise.

The Runway Speaks: Stories of Innovation and Identity

It didn’t have celebrity front rows or viral gimmicks. But what it did have was intention. A quiet but clear desire to use the runway not just as a platform for garments, but as a space for storytelling.

Inclusive Fashion Collection By Palak Aggarwal (Batch 2020-24)

One collection, titled "Able and Adorned," attempted to identify a gap in the Indian market: apparel designed specifically for differently-abled individuals. Recognising both limitations and opportunities, the collection prioritised accessibility, durability and affordability while ensuring comfort and ease of movement. The use of cleverly designed hooks and pockets further enhanced wearability.

Gharsa - Fashion Collection By Naseeb Sihag (Batch 2020-24)

Another striking collection, “Gharsa” (meaning "from home"), drew on the designer's intimate connection to his rural roots. The garments were laced with symbolism: ropes, reminiscent of farm machinery, wove through the fabric like memories of childhood, while motifs of belons (clay pots), katas (wooden cots), and peepal trees spoke of the quiet strength of his homeland. The warmth of the chulha (earthen stove) was captured in the tactile materials, turning the collection into more than just fashion—it became a tribute to heritage, a narrative stitched together in every detail. It wasn’t merely clothes on a runway; it was a voice, resonant and rich with personal history, telling a story through every seam.

Redefining Graduate Fashion Shows: Narrating the Journey of Garment and Designer

“The multifaceted value of graduate fashion shows extends beyond mere spectacle,” asserts Prof. Usha Nehru Patel, Dean-Academics at IIAD. “For design schools, these events bolster reputation and showcase the quality of education and resources offered. But more importantly, they provide students with invaluable exposure, allowing them to present their work to industry professionals, potential employers, and the public. These shows foster connections, leading to collaborations and employment opportunities," she adds.

The true value of such graduate fashion shows lies not in the fleeting spectacle of the runway but in the conscious narratives these young designers weave around the garments. This shift cultivates a richer understanding, forging a stronger connection between the audience and the designer.

The fashion design exhibition BAAT, a collaborative effort between KHAMIR and IIAD, invited exploration of these values by showcasing Indian textile crafts. By travelling to Bhuj, Gujarat, these budding designers gained firsthand experience of traditional practices from the craftspeople of Mundra village, an experience outside the classrooms. This immersive journey culminated in comprehensive craft documentation, providing students with a profound understanding of the construction and significance of both traditional and modern Indian garments. BAAT offers a poignant journey into the heart of Indian craftsmanship, revealing the stories, skills and spirit that keep these traditions alive.

Another exhibit, "Transform and Restructure," showcased garments that challenged the established paradigm of garment and body. Inspired by diverse art forms like sculpture, architecture, and photography, this exhibit approached garments with a focus on dissection and engineering. It interrogated the tension between two-dimensional patterns and their three-dimensional materiality, playfully exploring shape, colour, and texture to articulate form.

A third thought-provoking exhibit, "Dress It Up," focused on the history of clothing through an Eastern and Western lens. It explored the evolving concept of luxury fashion across geographies, questioning the traditional power centres and their contemporary relevance. By examining these questions, "Dress It Up" fosters a deeper understanding of couture, luxury, materials, and techniques within the context of India's contemporary fashion. 

As the Indian fashion industry expands its global footprint, the relevance of such graduate fashion shows lies in their ability to humanise design in a hyper-visual world. To slow it down. To root it in reflection and rigour.

Because while the next Nancy Tyagi might find her audience online, what she chooses to say when she gets there—that still depends on the depth of the journey behind her. It’s the experiences, the stories and the culmination of knowledge gained along the way that shape her voice, giving it the power to go above trends and speak to something deeper.

And if that journey involves constant reiterations, thoughtful engagement with local communities, sparking conversations with mentoring faculty and industry stalwarts and immersing in an experiential, studio-style classroom which encourages questioning—then perhaps, the graduate fashion show is not outdated.

It’s evolving.
Quietly. Intentionally.
And with more to say than ever before.

For students pursuing a fashion design degree today, the runway is no longer just a place to showcase garments — it's a platform to articulate fresh and unique ideas. And for any fashion design college worth its salt, these shows must be more than spectacle; they should be spaces that reflect the deeper values of a meaningful fashion design course: empathy, experimentation and cultural consciousness.

Because in the end, it’s not just about the clothes. It’s about who makes them, why they matter and what they say about the world we’re designing for.

Explore More About Fashion Design Course 

- Loved this piece on the fashion show? Want to see more of what happens at IIAD's fashion show? Watch it here.

-Two of these IIAD graduate collections, by Naseeb Sihag and Sanskriti Maheshwari, were part of the fashion show and later became top international finalists at WOW (World of Wearable Art). Witness their journey.

-See what fashion industry expert Urvashi Kaur has to say about the graduate collections showcased at IIAD.

- Are you looking to explore a fashion design college? Here’s a list of the top 10 fashion design colleges in India.

About The Author

Ridhima is an architect, content strategist and design researcher whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, design and digital media. With over five years of experience across design firms, media and academic institutions—including re ... search collaborations with IIT Delhi—she brings a well-rounded perspective to how design stories are told and shared.

From writing for digital spaces like India Design ID and World Architecture Community to shaping narratives for print media like Elle Décor India, her focus has always been clear—democratise design. In simpler words, make the stories about design heard, seen and understood, by the public at large. As someone who understands the language of architects and the pulse of audiences, she aims to build bridges through words—with empathy, clarity and strategy.

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