National Institute of Fashion Technology Notable Alumni

NIFT alumni have made a mark in various fields, some as fashion, interior, and jewelry designers, while others have gone on to chart careers as actors, models, etc. Here we bring you notable NIFT alumni. Read on.

National Institute of Fashion Technology Notable Alumni - When one looks at the NIFTs, it is more than just the NIFT placement and salary package one is interested in. To be fair, one also looks at the notable alumni of the NIFTs.

And why not?

A good and long list of notable alumni reflects the health and reputation of an institution. To add to it prominent and popular alumni can motivate the student to emulate them.

For instance, NIFT Delhi has several prominent alumni, including Ritu Beri, Rohit Bal, and Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Such illustrious names instill confidence in aspiring students to study at the NIFTs. 

The NIFTs are considered among the best design colleges in the country. The NIFTs offer various design courses like B.Des, M.Des, B.F.Tech, M.F.Tech, and M.F.M.

Admission to these courses will be through the NIFT 2025 entrance exam.

The application form for NIFT 2025 is expected to OPEN in December 2024. Such candidates who meet the prescribed NIFT eligibility criteria may apply before the last date.

Here we bring you notable alumni of the National Institute of Fashion Technology. You will get to learn their success stories.

National Institute of Fashion Technology Notable Alumni

Here we bring you some of the notable alumni of the NIFTs. Some of the names included here have become household names, while others have carved a less-trodden path and contributed to the upliftment of society, thereby winning prestigious awards from the government and important organizations.

Sabyasachi Mukherjee

If you are a fashion enthusiast, there is no way you haven’t heard or know about Sabyasachi Mukherjee. He is easily one of the most well-known fashion designers in the country excelling in elaborate and extravagant costumes, jewelry, and accessories.

A graduate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kolkata, his design is known for showcasing signature Indian heritage crafts. He was also among the pioneers in creating temporary silhouettes. 

After graduating from NIFT, he got job offers from the top Indian designers but refused them all to start his eponymous label. He quickly created a name for himself and soon got offers to design costumes for Bollywood movies, a much-coveted role for a designer. He also won the National Award for Best Costume Design.

The designer gained critical acclaim with his costume design for the film Black, which was helmed by Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee. A period drama, Black was one of the biggest hits of the year. The designer urges people who want to typecast him as a bridalwear designer to watch Black and understand his range as a designer.

He is also one of the few Indians to showcase their craft at the New York Fashion Week. 

Sabyasachi Mukherjee believes in the mantra “Buy less but buy better”.

Rohit Bal

Rohit Bal is a famous Indian designer who among other accolades, has the bragging rights of designing the costumes for the super-successful TV show, Kaun Banega Crorepati.

He is also a frequent collaborator with Khadi Gram Udyog.

A graduate of NIFT Delhi, Bal belongs to a Kashmiri Pandit family in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. His family had to relocate from the state after the insurgency in the 1990s.

However, misfortune failed to stop the dreams and aspirations of a young Bal, who completed his school education at DPS Mathura. He then graduated in history from St. Stephen’s College, before enrolling in NIFT Delhi.

After completing his design degree, he started his independent collection with his brother. At around that time, he got his major break when Khadi Gram Udyog selected him to design their products.

He didn’t look back after this chance opportunity.

In his stellar career that spans over two decades, he has won many awards, including the Designer of the Year at the International Fashion Awards in 2001 and 2004. He also won the Indian Fashion Awards in 2006. 

During the Lakme Fashion Week 2012 (February), he was also awarded the grand finale designer.

Today, the designer’s clientele includes the likes of Cindy Crawford, Pamela Anderson, and Uma Thurman.

Manish Arora 

In an industry where there were many copycat versions, Manish Arora dared to be different. He was a trendsetter, as was evident in his designs. According to Priya Paul, who was chairperson of The Park Hotels, Manish Arora's designs are timeless and translatable.

After graduating from NIFT Delhi, Arora started his eponymous label in 1997. In 2002, he participated in the Indian Fashion Week Mumbai. 

His next big stop turned out to be London Fashion Week 2005, where he presented his show. His international exposure continued when he got the opportunity to perform a catwalk show at the Paris Fashion Week in 2007. 

By then he was already designing costumes and doing collaborations with brands like Amrapali, Reebok, and MAC.

But when things were looking all rosy for Manish, he suffered a series of setbacks as by 2020 his business had shut down.

The story was also captured by the New York Times, which dedicated a 4000-word article to the designer, titled “For a Leading Light of Indian Fashion, All That Glitters Is Not Gold”

The article chronicles the downfall of a once-rising star in the Indian fashion industry.

While Manish Arora that some descriptions given in the article are inaccurate, it can’t be denied that his brand has taken a big hit. So, much so that, he has been forced to close his website.

So, the story of Manish Arora can be a cautionary tale as to how one must guard against missteps. 

Given the fickleness of the fashion industry, one too many missteps can bring doom to a budding empire.

While becoming a successful designer is every 

Nikita Anand

If you were wondering if the NIFTs are the place only to become a designer, think again!

Because people like Nikita Anand have burst that bubble. An alumnus of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi, Nikita has made her mark as an actress, model, and TV host, and is also a beauty pageant winner.

Born in Jalandhar, Nikita’s father was an Army doctor, who was posted to various places in the country. So, Nikita was exposed to travel and different regions and cultures at a very young and impressionable age.

Nikita said that she was already modeling and had walked on the ramp when she saw an ad for the Miss India contest. She applied for the contest and got an invite. Rest is history as she was crowned Miss India Universe 2003.

What this shows is that just because you enroll in. a design course at a NIFT, it doesn’t have to smother a dream you may have, for instance of becoming a television or movie star.

The fashion industry can be considered an extension of the movie and television industry. Many times, people from one side of the spectrum cross over to the other and attain success.

Twinkle Khanna is an excellent example. She started her career as a movie heroine, but now has become a famous fashion and interior designer.

Nikita made her Bollywood debut with the movie “Dil Dosti Etc.” Another one of her movies is “Ek Second... Jo Zindagi Badal De?”

Devoleena Bhattacharjee

An alumnus of NIFT Delhi, Devoleena Bhattacharjee is a TV actress and trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She participated in the 13th, 14th, and 15th seasons of the TV series Big Boss.

She played the character of Gopi Modi in the popular TV serial show Saath Nibhaana Saathiya.

Devoleena Bhattacharjee is another example that if you study fashion design, apart from becoming a designer, you may also get a chance to become a TV and movie actor, provided you have the potential and get the breaks.

She is another notable alumnus of the National Institute of Fashion Technology.

In her formative years, which is just after completing college, she also tried her hands at becoming a jewelry designer. It was during her job as a jewelry designer in Gili India Ltd that she came into the limelight after auditioning for Dance India Dance, a dance reality series.

Iti Tyagi

Now that we have talked of a few NIFT alumni who went another way, let us learn about someone who stayed the course, became a successful designer, made a mark, and also created a change at the grassroots level.

Wikipedia describes Iti Tyagi as an Indian designer and social entrepreneur. But she is much more than that.

Winner of the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar award, she has worked relentlessly to empower women through her profession.

Iti Tyagi completed her design degree from NIFT and then specialized in interior design at the KLC School of Design in London.

She has worked in various fields of design, including metalwork, embroidery, woodwork, and glassblowing. Her design also takes inspiration from sustainable development. 

To protect the health professions without harming the environment during COVID-19, she designed cement fabric personal protective equipment (PPE) which contained 50% natural fabric. Consequently, these materials are less harmful to the environment than suits that are crafted using 100% synthetic material.

When receiving the Nari Shakti Puraskar from then-president Ram Nath Kovind, she said that she wished every woman to come out of their shell and break the stereotype.