New Zealand students redesign silk saris into western outfits

Students from New Zealand who visited Coimbatore for a six-week internship at Bannari Amman Institute of Technology to learn the minute details of garment manufacturing and design, have turned silk saris into Western wear.

Students from New Zealand took 35 silk saris from Sathyamangalam and redesigned them into Western outfits. These will be at display on Friday during a fashion show hosted by Bannari Amman Institute of Technology.

Olivia Dunn, 24, a student of New Zealand of Fashion Technology said that in New Zealand they do not have the facility to look at textile manufacturing so minutely. They learn most of it theoretically. But, the visit to manufacturing units, seeing the entire process live and learning the skills from Indian experts is life-time experience.

A similar thought is shared by Ana Te Whaiti, 25, who speaks about the other side of the trip. While they learnt the intricacies of textile manufacturing, on the other hand, they also learnt the style of Indian clothing. New Zealand garments are predominantly monochromatic while women in India wear more bright and colourful stuff.

Giles Brooker, chairman of Giles Brooker group said that the learning here will enable students to go and implement things practically in the industry in New Zealand. It will help them grow in their career significantly.

The students also visited places like Thanjavur, Udhagamandalam, Mysuru and other places around.

The New Zealand government has been sponsoring the internship for the past four years and the students from New Zealand visit Bannari Amman Institute of Technology for the internship.